Hairspray FINAL for PDF

Transcription

A FIELD GUIDE FOR TEACHERS
StageNOTES
TM
A tool for using the theater
across the curriculum to meet
National Standards for Education
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HAIRSPRAY
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Production Overview
Lesson Guides
Student Activities
At-Home Projects
Reproducibles
1
Printed in the United States of America
First printing, April 2003
ISBN: 1-930504-09-8
Look for the Original Broadway Cast Recording on Sony Classical
For more information on StageNOTES™ and other theater arts related programs for students,
contact:
Camp Broadway LLC
145 West 45th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: (212) 575-2929
Facsimile: (212) 575-3125
Email: [email protected]
www.campbroadway.com
This publication is based on the work of Hairspray with book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas
Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman. The
content of the Hairspray edition of StageNOTES™: A Field Guide for Teachers is fully
protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and all other countries with
which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights regarding publishing,
reprint permissions, public readings, and mechanical or electronic reproduction, including but
not limited to, CD-ROM, information storage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and the
rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved.
StageNOTES
TM
© 2003, Camp Broadway LLC
All rights reserved
C A M P
B R O A D W A Y
N E W
2
Y O R K
L L C
Overture to HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Experiential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
History to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Overture to LANGUAGE ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Experiential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Language Arts to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Overture to BEHAVIORAL STUDIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Experiential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Behavioral Studies to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Overture to LIFE SKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Experiential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Life Skills to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Overture to THE ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Experiential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
The Arts to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Hairspray Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Using the
StageNOTES™
Table of
Using the Field Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Opening Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Producer’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Musical Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Good Morning, Baltimore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
About John Waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Using the Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Field Guide
Camp Broadway is pleased to bring you the Hairspray edition
of StageNOTES™, the tenth in our series. We are proud to be affiliated with this
joyous musical celebrating individuality, tolerance, and the spirit of youth.
This guide has been developed as a teaching tool to assist educators in the
classroom who are introducing their students to the story in conjunction with
the Broadway production.
By using StageNOTES™, you will understand how Hairspray exposes the past
(History), expands our visual and verbal vocabulary (Language Arts), illuminates
the human condition (Behavioral Studies), aids in our own self-exploration (Life
Skills), and encourages creative thinking and expression (The Arts).
The Camp Broadway creative team, consisting of theater educators, scholars,
researchers, and theater professionals, has developed a series of lesson plans
that, although inspired by and themed around the musical Hairspray, can also
accompany class study of the period and other related literary works. To
assist you in preparing your presentation of each lesson, we have included: an
objective; an excerpt from the script of Hairspray; a discussion topic; a writing
assignment; and an interactive class activity. A reproducible handout accompanies
each lesson unit, which contains: an essay question; a creative exercise; and an
“after hours activity” that encourages students to interact with family, friends, or
the community at large.
The curriculum categories offered in the Hairspray study guide have been
informed by the basic standards of education detailed in Content Knowledge:
A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K–12 Education, 2nd
Edition, written by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (1997). This
definitive compilation was published by Mid-Continent Regional Education
Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association for Supervision and Curricular
Development (ASCD) after a systematic collection, review, and analysis of
noteworthy national and state curricular documents in all subjects.
The Hairspray study guide is for you, the educator, in response to your need
for standards-compliant curriculum. We hope this study guide will help you
incorporate Hairspray into your classroom activities.
Jodi Simon Stewart
Director of Education
Camp Broadway
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StageNOTES™
Contents
Producer’s Note
StageNOTES™
Pres ent
H A IR S P R A Y
Musi c By
Lyric s By
Scott Wittman
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman
Mark O’Donnell
Thomas Meehanupon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters
Book By
Based
Starr ing
Marissa Jaret Winokur
Harvey Fierstein
W
Along with the financing and management
of a production, commissioning producers
choose the creative team: book writer,
composer, lyricist, choreographer,
designers, and director. The Hairspray
writers began working in the winter of
2000. Between that date and December
2001 (by which time our complete artistic
team was assembled), we held four
readings where the actors performed with
scripts in hand and sang to the
accompaniment of three musicians. In
May 2002, two months before coming to
New York, the production had a successful
three-week tryout run in Seattle. On August
15th, Hairspray opened on Broadway.
My partners and I are thrilled to be part of
an event that brings so much joy to
audiences eight times a week. Along with
the satisfaction of having a hit show, we
feel especially happy that Hairspray
celebrates the uniqueness of a country that
is inclusive and diverse and where one
person really can make a difference. Tracy
Turnblad and her friends are determined to
make the world a better place; we hope
that message will be an inspiration to your
students as they think about their
experience at Hairspray and work through
these study guide materials.
Also Starr ing
ler Linda Hart
Bond Davis Kerry Butnold
y
Mar
dy
Bun
s Clarke Thorell
Bell
ra
Lau
Rey
ey
Cor
n
riso
Mor
w
the
Jackie Hoffman MatDan
son and Dick Latessa
Wil
enia
Eug
elle
Joel Vig
ing
With
Eric Dysart Adam Flem tin
Mar
se J.P. Dougherty
Bennett Joshua BergasHollie Howard Katharine Leonard Kamilahoke Tansley
osh
Den
n
Bea
na
sha
yna Steele Bro
Eric Anthony Sho Lee Greaves Katy Grenfell John Hill
Todd Michel Smith Sha
Greg Graham Daniellelor Judine Richard Peter Matthew Smith
Light ing Desig ned by
Nay
had
Cost umes Desig ned by
Kenneth Posner
Alli Mauzey Ras
Scen ery Desi gned by
by
William Ivey Long
Wigs & Hair Desig ned
David Rockwell
Cast ing by
Paul Huntley
ting
by
Cas
ned
ey
Soun d Desig
r
Bernard Tels
Asso ciate Chor eogr aphe
Steve C. Kennedy
Asso ciate Direc tor
Michele Lynch
ger
Mana
z
e
Len
Stag
t
Musi c Coor dinat or
n
Mat
Prod uctio
Arra ngem ents by
John Miller
Frank Lombardi
by
n
tion
ima
Direc
Musi c
Marc Sha
Asso ciate Prod ucer s
Orch estra tions by
Lon Hoyt
e
Pres s Repr esen tativ
Rhoda Mayerson
Harold Wheeler
Tech nical Supe rviso r
Richard Kornberg
The Aspen Group
duction
ma
Pro
Sum
Gene ral Mana geme nt
h
Tec
Don
Daniel C. Staton
s
tion
duc
Services, Inc.
Richard Frankel Pro
en
Gre
ra
by
Lau
Chor eogr aphy
Jerry Mitchell
Direc tion by
Jack O’Brien
, Was hing ton
The atre in Sea ttle
wit h the 5th Ave nue , Man agin g Dire cto r
Y” was pro duc ed
ldon
PRA
She
IRS
n
“HA
ilyn
of
Mar
re
c Dire cto r;
n.
The wor ld pre mie
Pro duc ing Art isti
o f t h i s p ro d u c t i o
Dav id Arm stro ng,
d fo r i t s s u p p o r t
D eve l o p m e n t Fu n
i a t i o n t o Th e a t re
c
re
p
p
a
L
r
i
e
CA
h
t
SSI
s
s
SONY CLA
i s h t o ex p re
CAST RECORDING ON
Th e p ro d u c e r s w
ORIGINAL BROADWAY
— Margo Lion
6
7
StageNOTES™
∑ Routh ∑ Frankel Group
tein The Baruch ∑ Viertel
Margo Lion Adam Eps L. Meyer Rick Steiner/Frederic H. Mayerson
glas
James D. Stern/Dou & GFO New Line Cinema
SEL
In Asso ciati on With
llister
ent A. Gordon/E. McA
nne
Clear Cha l Entertainm nsky J. & B. Osher
D. Harris/M. Swi
hen I optioned the rights to John
Waters’ movie Hairspray, I never
imagined what a thrilling journey
lay ahead. I did believe that the film would
make a successful Broadway musical
because of its Cinderella storyline, its
larger-than-life heroine, and, of course, its
many possibilities for rousing song and
dance. But the show that arrived in New
York in the summer of 2002 exceeded my
wildest expectations.
StageNOTES™
Synopsis
H
airspray opens in June 1962, as plus-sized
teenager Tracy Turnblad wakes up ready for
another day (“Good Morning, Baltimore”).
After school, she and her best friend, Penny
Pingleton, watch The Corny Collins Show, starring
“The Nicest Kids in Town.” While Tracy and Penny
sigh over handsome Link Larkin, Tracy’s mother,
Edna, slaves away at her ironing board. Penny’s
mother, Prudy Pingleton, expresses her disapproval
of teenagers dancing to “colored music.” Edna
points out that it “ain’t colored. The TV’s black and
white.”
In the studio, show producer, Velma Von Tussle,
instructs her teen-queen daughter and Link’s
girlfriend, Amber, to hog the camera, while berating
Corny, the host, about including songs with “that
Detroit sound.” She reminds him that they have to
steer the kids “in the white direction.” On air, Corny
announces auditions for an opening on the show, as
well as the national broadcast of the upcoming “Miss
Teenage Hairspray 1962” contest.
Tracy wants to audition for the show. Edna is
skeptical, fearing Tracy’s size will lead to rejection,
but her father, Wilbur (owner of the Har-de-Har Hut
Joke Shop), tells Tracy to follow her dream.
While Edna tells Tracy to forget about going to
the audition, Velma and Prudy argue with daughters,
Amber and Penny. The girls stubbornly resist their
mothers, declaring “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now.”
Making their own decision, Tracy and Penny race
into the WZZT studios just as the auditions are
ending. Tracy sees Link and swoons “I Can Hear the
Bells.” Velma rejects Tracy, sneering at her weight
and lamenting that times certainly have changed
since she was crowned “Miss Baltimore Crabs.”
At school, Tracy’s hairdo lands her in detention,
where she befriends Seaweed J. Stubbs, the son of
Motormouth Maybelle (the host of once-a-month
“Negro Day” on The Corny Collins Show.) At a
school dance, Tracy catches Corny’s eye while doing
steps she learned from Seaweed.
The next day, an astonished Edna and Wilbur
see Tracy on TV, the newest member of the Corny
Collins Council. Link sings the latest hit, “It Takes
Two,” dedicating it to Tracy, now an overnight
sensation. After her mother forgives her, Tracy takes
Edna out on the town for a fashion makeover
(“Welcome to the ’60s”).
8
During a rough scatter dodgeball game, Amber
knocks out her rival, Tracy. To cheer her up, Seaweed
invites Tracy, Link, and Penny (who has an
immediate crush on him) to his mother’s record shop
(“Run and Tell That”). Motormouth Maybelle
welcomes them warmly; Tracy wonders why they
can’t all dance together on the show and plans to
lead a protest during “Mother-Daughter Day.” Link
rejects the idea, fearing it will hurt his chance to be
on national TV. He leaves a heartbroken Tracy to go
back to Amber. Edna is dubious about joining the
protest. She is self-conscious about her weight, but
Motormouth persuades her to accept herself — after
all, they’re both “Big, Blonde & Beautiful.” The
demonstration turns into a riot; the police arrive and
drag Tracy and all the women off to jail.
Act Two opens in the women’s house of
detention, “The Big Dollhouse.” Everyone is
released on bail, except Tracy, who is moved to
solitary confinement.
Wilbur comforts a downcast Edna (“Timeless to
Me”). Meanwhile, Link realizes his love for Tracy
and breaks her out of jail (using a blowtorch
improvised with a lighter and a can of hairspray),
and Seaweed rescues Penny from her mother’s
clutches (“Without Love”).
The four flee to Motormouth’s record shop. She
reminds them that the fight against injustice is never
ending (“I Know Where I’ve Been”).
The next day, Corny’s prime-time show is in full
swing and ready to announce the winner of “Miss
Teenage Hairspray 1962” (“Hairspray”). Amber and
Tracy are finalists for the title of “Miss
Teenage Hairspray 1962.” Amber
performs a dance she dedicates to
the absent Tracy (“Cooties”).
Just as it looks like Amber has
won the crown, Tracy bursts in
from the audience to claim
victory and perform a dance
that’s dedicated to everyone.
They all dance together; black
and white, fat and thin, young
and old, as Tracy leads the
company in declaring “You Can’t
Stop the Beat.”
Characters
Musical Numbers
Tracy Turnblad — teenager from Baltimore, wants
Act One
to be a dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Corny Collins — host of The Corny Collins Show
Amber Von Tussle — female star of The Corny
Collins Show
Brad — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Tammy — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Fender — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Brenda — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Sketch — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Shelley — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
IQ — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Lou Ann — dancer on The Corny Collins Show
Link Larkin — male star of The Corny Collins
Show, object of Tracy’s affection
Prudy Pingleton — mother of Penny
Edna Turnblad — mother of Tracy
Penny Pingleton — Tracy’s best friend
Velma Von Tussle — mother of Amber
Harriman F. Spritzer — President of Ultra Clutch
Hairspray, sponsor of The Corny Collins Show
Wilbur Turnblad — father of Tracy
Seaweed J. Stubbs — befriends Tracy in detention
Duane — friend of Seaweed
Gilbert — friend of Seaweed
Lorraine — friend of Seaweed
Thad — friend of Seaweed
The Dynamites — female singing trio in “Welcome
to the ’60s”
Mr. Pinky — owner of Mr. Pinky’s Hefty Hideaway
clothing store
Little Inez — Seaweed’s little sister
Motormouth Maybelle — Seaweed’s mother, host
of “Negro Day” on The Corny Collins Show
“Good Morning, Baltimore” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tracy & Company
“The Nicest Kids in Town” . . . . . . . . . . . . .Corny Collins & Council Members
“Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” .Edna & Tracy, Velma & Amber, Penny & Prudy
“I Can Hear the Bells” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tracy
“(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs” . . . .Velma & Council Members
“The Nicest Kids in Town” (Reprise) . . . . . . .Corny & Council Members
“It Takes Two” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Link & Tracy
“Welcome to the ’60s” . . . . . . . . .Tracy, Edna, The Dynamites & Company
“Run and Tell That” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Seaweed, Little Inez & Company
“Big, Blonde & Beautiful” . . . .Motormouth, Little Inez, Tracy, Edna, Wilbur
Act Two
“The Big Dollhouse” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Women
“Good Morning, Baltimore” (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tracy
“Timeless to Me” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wilbur & Edna
“Without Love” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Link, Tracy, Seaweed, Penny
“I Know Where I’ve Been” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Motormouth & Company
“Hairspray” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Corny & Council Members
“Cooties” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amber & Council Members
“You Can’t Stop the Beat” . . . . .Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Motormouth & Company
Gym Teacher, Principal, Matron, Guard,
Denizens of Baltimore
9
StageNOTES™
A Synopsis of Hairspray
H
airspray is set in Baltimore, Maryland, John Waters’ hometown. Baltimore’s unique character comes
from its many paradoxical qualities: It is an urban center with a rural sensibility, a city on the border
between the North and the South, a blue-collar town that is home to world-class institutions of science
and culture. In Hairspray — and in all his films — John Waters captures the sometimes tacky, always
exuberant, unself-conscious quality of Baltimore and its citizens.
Baltimore Town, named for Lord Baltimore, one of the founders of the Maryland Colony, was founded in 1729
at the large natural harbor at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Baltimore, the westernmost port on the eastern
coast, as well as a midpoint between North and South, became a natural center of trade.
In the war of 1812, Britain attacked Baltimore, which they considered a “den of pirates
on the Chesapeake.” While witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Maryland lawyer
Francis Scott Key scribbled his impressions on the back of an envelope. Key’s account of
“the bombs bursting in air” became “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem.
What Is
Baltimore can claim some important “firsts”: The first railroad tracks in the United States
were laid there in 1829, connecting the landlocked Midwest with the port of Baltimore.
In 1844, the first telegraph line linked Baltimore
and Washington, D.C.
Formstone?
According to John Waters, Formstone is the “polyester
of brick.”
Due to the unique composition of the soil around
Baltimore, brick manufactured in the area was
extremely soft and porous. As buildings
aged, masonry would decay, chip away,
and fall off. Formstone was one of a
number of cement-based “artificial stone”
products created to repair and upgrade
building exteriors.
Formstone was patented in 1937 by
the Lasting Products Company of
Baltimore; door-to-door salesmen pitched
Formstone as a low-maintenance way to
upgrade a middle-class home, giving it
the wealthy look of stone.
Formstone was troweled on in thin layers; the top
layer could be tinted to simulate the shadings of stone.
Crinkled wax paper was applied to the wet “stone” and
removed to provide texture, while grooves were cut in to
look like the mortar between “stones.”
Formstone reached the peak of its popularity in the
‘40s and ‘50s, making Baltimore the “Formstone
Capital of the World.” By the ‘70s and ‘80s tastes had
changed, and Formstone use dwindled. Formstone is
still used in construction in parts of the world today,
and is very popular in Australia and New Zealand. ■
Francis Scott Key
In the early 1960s, the time when Hairspray takes place, more than
half of the population of Baltimore was African-American. The city had
voluntarily decided to desegregate the school system, rather than be
forced to do so by court order. However, “white flight” (affluent white
families moving to the suburbs) meant that the increasingly
overcrowded schools had a much higher percentage of black students
than white. Despite the efforts to integrate schools, Baltimore
remained heavily segregated, as it had been from its earliest days.
(North Avenue, the location of Motormouth Maybelle’s record shop in
the show, was originally the northern boundary of the city. Blacks were
not allowed to cross this boundary after dark.)
Baltimore, sometimes described as “an
outpost of the North in a Southern
state,” found itself in a
strategic position in the civil
rights movement of the
‘60s. The proximity of the
city to the nation’s capital
made it a popular place
for civil rights activists to
stage protests and rallies.
The city’s central position
between the North and the
South, the very location that made
it an economic center, put Baltimore in
the midst of the social struggle that divided the entire country. ■
10
About
StageNOTES™
“In Baltimore, hair is politics.” — John Waters
“Timeless to Me”
ilmmaker John Waters, born in Baltimore on April 22, 1946, had offbeat interests from
the beginning. As a child, he was drawn to the spooky and bizarre; he was fascinated by
the characters of Captain Hook from Peter Pan and the Wicked Queen from Snow
White. At age six, he asked his mother to take him on a tour of the local
junkyard so he could look at the wrecked cars and imagine the auto
accidents.
F
He became interested in puppets; his talent for keeping birthday party
puppet show audiences spellbound earned him up to $25 per
performance, a substantial amount for a kid in the 1950s. By age twelve,
he was intensely interested in show business, and subscribed to Variety,
the trade journal of the entertainment industry.
His grandmother gave him a movie camera for his sixteenth birthday, and he
began shooting short films in and around his parents’ house. For his casts,
he assembled an ensemble of friends who would appear in his films
throughout his career. Waters’ star was the drag performer Divine (real name
Glenn Milstead), whose persona grew more outrageous with every role.
John Waters showed his early films whenever and wherever he could. One
project, Roman Candles, was shown in the basement of Baltimore’s
Emmanuel Episcopal Church (admission 75¢). The movie used an experimental technique in
which three projectors ran simultaneously.
His breakthrough film was Pink Flamingos, in which Waters regulars Divine and Mink Stole
battled for the title of “Filthiest People Alive.” A wild comic-horror plot including kidnapping,
arson, and cannibalism was capped by a scene in which Divine ate dog excrement in full view
of the camera. Pink Flamingos became a midnight-movie smash, and earned John Waters the
title “The Pope of Trash.”
Divine and John Waters reunited to make Polyester, for which Waters invented Odorama —
scratch-and-sniff cards that audiences were given to smell at various points in the movie.
Waters became interested in making a movie about his childhood obsession with The Buddy
Deane Show, an after-school dance show, in which local teens bopped to pop hits. Waters
considered calling the film White Lipstick, but settled on Hairspray. Divine originally wanted to
play both teen heroine Tracy Turnblad and her mother, Edna. However, Waters cast Divine as
frumpy housewife Edna Turnblad (and station owner Arvin Hodgepile, one of the rare times
Divine played a man on screen) and nineteen-year-old unknown Ricki Lake won the role of
Tracy.
With its PG rating and subject matter, Hairspray drew a larger audience than Waters’ earlier
movies. It became one of the hits of 1988, catapulting Ricki Lake to fame, and earning Divine
critical praise for his performance as Edna. Tragically, soon after the movie’s release, Divine
died in his sleep.
Hairspray’s success drew a wide audience to Waters’ subsequent films (which include Cry
Baby, Serial Mom, and Cecil B. Demented). Waters even appeared in cartoon guise on The
Simpsons. Waters has continued to set all his films in Baltimore, keeping true to his particular
skewed vision and delighting audiences with his tales of eccentric characters who revel in the
excesses of tastelessness and trash. ■
11
StageNOTES™
John Waters
“Good Morning, Baltimore”
additional activities to be
completed outside of class.
HISTORY
NAME
DATE
After
3.
TEACHER
Objective
parents when they were
teenagers affect our decisions
and our lives today.
Teaching Tips
Begin with a brainstorm on
career options today, and
compare them to the career
choices of your parents. Are the
options the same or different?
■
■
Would you think about going
the
same
profession
or
Ask yourself this question: What role does media play in my life?into
Then
write
a short
but wellthe same
kinda of
work
organized one-to-two page composition looking at different formsdoing
of media
that have
strong
that
members
of your
family are
impact on your life. Do you watch TV? What shows do you watch?
Which
ones have
actors,
situations or story lines that you think about and find involving? How
often
go to theabout
doing?
Do do
youyou
daydream
movies? What kinds of movies do you tend to like? What is your your
favorite
movie
now?
Whatto
future
or right
do you
prefer
movie are you looking forward to seeing and why? What about the
news?
How
affected
arelet
youthe
by
live
in the
moment
and
the news? What news do you listen to or read?
future take care of itself? If
you’re a daydreamer, do you
Organize your composition according to the specific medium you’re talking about and decide
dream
things within
whether or not you think that medium is a large, mid-size, or small
part of
of doing
your life.
your reach, or do you dream of
things that seem more difficult
to achieve? How do you
compare your dreams with those
17 sisters, brothers, friends,
of your
and other peers?
Copyright 2003, Camp Broadway
Refer to “Welcome to the 60s”
(pages 12 and 13) and search
for these items on the internet.
Look for graphics as well as
other printouts. Prepare a fiveminute oral report on your
research.
SON
History
Scrapbooks of teen idols were
very much a part of the world
for teenagers. To make this into
a fun event, gather the
graphics beforehand and create
your own scrapbook. Also,
when you present your report,
From thedress up in what you think
Act 1, Scene
1 be an outfit from 1962.
would
Conflicting ideas concerning conformity and work ethic affected families back in the 50s and 60s just as they do today.
ROM THE SCRIPT
and staying in school were not necessarily the right answer,
The teens in Hairspray were beginning to think that hard Fwork
and certainly not the most glamorous answer, to life. In this excerpt, we see Tracy’s growing interest in cutting school,
auditioning for The Corny Collins Show, and what it might mean for her family.
Experiential
Tracy:
Edna:
Mother, you are so fifties.
Even our first lady, Jackie
B. Kennedy, rats her hair.
Being big enough is not the
problem, Wilbur.
Tracy:
Thanks, Daddy.
Edna:
Wilbur:
Edna:
When I was your age my
Yeah? Well, you ain’t no
parents begged me to run
away with the circus, but I
first lady, are ya? She’s a
hair hopper — that’s what
said, “No. That’s what you
want. I have dreams of my
got her put in detention
again.
own.” I dreamt of opening a
Writing
chain of joke shops
(taking Wilbur aside)
worldwide. So, okay, I’ve
Wilbur, talk to her. Girls To analyze how media attention can
still only got one, but some
like Tracy...People like
influence
and the
day, its
ifaudiences,
I can figure
out how
us...You know what I’m
to keep
the air from aleaking
resulting
consequences
saying. They don’t put
out perspective.
of my sofa-sized Whoopee
historical
people like us on TV —
Cushion, I’m going to make a
Except to be laughed at.
noise heard ‘round the
world!
Wilbur:
(Edna screams with delight!)
(to Tracy)
You follow your dream, baby.
This TV thing... You really
I’m grabbin’ an Orange Crush
want it?
and heading back down to the
■ Put the word "cool" on the board.
Har-Dee-Har Hut. I’ve got my
Tracy:
Note dream
that the
dancers
...Corny
And ICollins
wuv it!
It’s my dream, daddy.
are termed "cool" on his show. Have
Objective
Teaching Tips
Edna:
students write down all the words
Wilbur:
(laughing again)
to thenot
word.
Then askWilbur!
the
Then you go for it. This isrelated
You’re
helping,
America, babe. You gotta
(Wilbur
exits and Tracy
following
questions:
think big to be big.
follows.)
SON
1
2 Language Arts
4 Life Skills
5 The Arts
Script
SON
1
History
ARE POUNDING IN YOUR HEAD
Tracy:
Ugh.
WHO CARES ABOUT SLEEP
Objective
Discussion
you’re not Elvis yet. Amber...Hog
the camera.
From the
ScriptAmber:
Yes, mother.
Act 1, Scene 8
Edna and Tracy Turnblad
both share a spirit for equality, fairness and friendship that is free of racial prejudice. In
Velma:
this YOU,
scene, the
generation
boldly
the older generation into a protest in order to make society fair and
And
Mr.younger
Collins!
None
ofleads
that
just.
Detroit
sound today. You have
something against Connie Francis?
Tracy:
Corny:
Okay. So this is
how we’re gonna do
The
are just
over the
moonyour
for
it;kids
tomorrow,
everyone
bring
rhythm
and. blues,
Velma. They can’t
mothers
. .
get enough.
Tracy:
Ms. Motormouth, you and little Inez
will walk in first. Mama and me will
be right behind you.
Penny:
… and sisters!.Velma:
They’re kids, Corny. That’s why we
have to steer them in the white
Tracy:
direction...I mean...you know what I
… and meet around the corner from
mean.
the studio and make signs!
Edna:
Excuse me?
Tracy:
They’ll never be able to shove them
back through the door with us
blocking it.
Penny:
Yes! and
Anddramatic
put words
on person
them!can circulate
crafted
scene. This
among the student writers and offer advice as they go
through the process of writing their scenes.)
Exercise
Once the scenes have been written and presented in
class,
and differences
among became a central issue for society in the 1960s.
The discuss
strugglethe
to similarities
achieve equity
in race relations
them.
Then, population
explore the various
purposes
that the
The white
had very
little information
and experience with the topic, unlike today, where
producers
may havesupports
had for their
audiences.
society strongly
equal
rights. In each
scene, look at the way in which the image of the
moderator or program host is projected and the ways in
At
first,
have
individuals
in
the
class
find
subjects
which the dancers are projected. How do your students’ they feel strongly about and are willing to
discuss.
Pair updance
students
with
different
beliefs
scenes,
describing
shows
today,
differ from
or and have them debate these opposing viewpoints.
resemble each other focusing on their proposed
influence
onyour
a viewing
audience?
1. Have
students
read the Overture to History "I Know Where I’ve Been" (Pages 11 and 12)
Summary of Standard for
HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING
1. Understanding and analyzing
chronological relationships and
patterns:
■ Analyze influence of specific
beliefs on these times. How
would events be different in the
absence of these beliefs?
■
in order to identify two or three events that they might be familiar with. Ask them to take a
strong stance on one topic and a neutral stance on a second topic, covering as many dates and
events as possible. Then, have them pair up to discuss the different perspectives surrounding
each topic.
2. In class, have your students discuss current events that they feel very strongly about. Some
examples might be a war or health care issues, such as drug prescription costs for the elderly.
Have all the issues written down on the blackboard and in each instance, have the class
identify and explain those that they have strong opinions about and those that they are not as
concerned with.
3. For homework, have the students interview people aged 60 and over who remember the
events listed in the Overture to History covering 1946-1968. Ask the interviewees what their
memories are of two or three events. Then, have the students discuss these interviews in small
groups of three or four after which they can share their findings with the full class.
An excerpt from the script of Hairspray to help
“set the stage” for the activity that follows.
Concerned about the prevalence of racial
discrimination, President Harry S. Truman
establishes the President’s Committee on
Civil Rights.
Act 1, Scene 1
In this scene, the
girls are watching a teen dance program on TV. Tracy and Penny are particularly struck by images of
Edna:
15
From the script:
1946
Discussion
FROM THE SCRIPT
cool,want
young to
people,
they dress,
how they appear, and how they are encouraged to look, illustrating the ways in
You
be how
famous?
Learn
how
geticons
blood
out of car
whichtothese
are encouraged
to appeal to the young TV audience.
upholstery. Now there’s a
skill you could takeEdna:
to the
Velma:
bank. You think I wanted to
Turn that racket down. I’m trying to
And we’re off! All right, people,
spend my life washing and
iron in here.
how many times do I have to tell you
ironing other people’s
— We do NOT touch ourselves —
unmentionables? No, I wanted
anywhere — while on camera. Tammy,
Corny: I
to design them. I thought
lose the padding. You, too, Fender.
SO, IF
EVERY
NIGHTthing
YOU’RE SHAKING
would
be the
biggest
(the kids sheepishly turn away to
YOU LIE IN
BED you
inASbrassieres.
Well,
remove their padding)
deal with what life gives
And Link, stop hogging the camera;
you.
AND Now
THEstart
BASS folding.
AND DRUMS
Each StageNOTES™ lesson includes
the following components:
An overall note to the teacher outlining the
goals of the lesson to follow.
H
airspray takes place in 1962, at a time when the civil rights movement was
gathering momentum. Racial tension was high; demonstrations and riots were in
the news daily. More and more students, both in college and in high school, were
becoming involved in protests against segregation in all areas of society.
Below is a time line listing some of the major events in the struggle for civil rights, both
before and after Hairspray.
But,
FromMama
the I want to be
famous.
WHEN YOU CAN Discussion
SNOOZE IN SCHOOL
THEY’LL NEVER GET TO COLLEGE
BUT THEY SUREToLOOK
COOL
explore
various societal
■ What is your perception of the
DON’T NEED A perspectives
CAP AND A and
GOWN
how they
word "cool" today? Does it mean the
‘CAUSE THEY’RE THE
have
affected the course of
NICEST
KIDS
TOWN
same
as future
it meant
inand
theexpectations.
50s
Have the class discuss the role school
playstoday
in their
plans
Does
school
play aIN
large
part, or is
THEY’RE THE history.
60s?
If not,reflect
whattheir
worddreams?
has
it insignificant? Do the choices theyand
make
in school
NICEST, NICEST
replaced it? Who would you consider
THEY’RE THE
Next, ask the class to develop a survey exploring the attitude of people in their parents’ generation concerning school.
to be a "cool" person? Think about a
NICEST, NICEST
Possible survey topics can include what courses they took, how seriously they took these classes, how their culture and
THEY’RE THE
someone
in the
media, family
family ethnicity effected them, whatfriend,
their families
thought
of education,
how their educational path may or may not
SUGAR AND SPICE-EST, NICEST
member
whom you consider
"cool." on theirKIDS
have changed as they grew older and/or
the consequences
of their education
lives. Once the survey
questions
IN TOWN ■ Do you believe that people from
have been determined, each studentWhy
should
conduct
survey them
at home
with friends or family members.
In thegroups and societies are
would
you the
consider
"cool"?
various
following class period, the students should discuss the answers they have obtained in groups of three orequal
four, and
reach
to each
other and should
Corny:
a consensus about the meaning of education for their interviewees. Finally, have the entire class reconvene
to compare
be
treated
equal ways?
And
that
was
our
new indance
of the
■ Take
a look
the role of education for students both
now and
then.at Connie Francis, who
week — the “Stricken Chicken.” We’ll
is mentioned in the above script
■ Do you believe that people in
be right back.
differentin
societies
can
excerpt. Who would be considered
(Lights shift
the and
TV cultures
studio.)
be comfortable interacting with
your Connie Francis today? What
one another? Or, on the other
16
would make him or her "cool"? Whom
hand, do you believe that there are
some important differences to
do some people consider "cool" that
notice? an
If so,
do thoseofdifferences
Have your students imagine
equivalent
an
you do not? What images are
behavior?
American Bandstandaffect
, Soulour
Train
, or CornyHow?
Collins Show
projected in the media today that you
as it would be on TV today. Divide them into groups of
■ becoming
Do you believe
that members
like? What images are projected in
six, with each student
a character
on the of
different
cultural
groups
can
date,
show. The roles may include playing a producer like
the media today that you do not like?
children,
Velma, an announcerintermarry,
like Cornyhave
Collins,
or theand
dancing
effectively
couples. Have eachcommunicate
group write a as
short
scene as
familiesmotivation.
with all members
from the
dramatizing each character
For example,
same
cultural
background?
why has the producer
chosen
to create
this showExplain
for
your are
feelings
and beliefs.
his/her audience? What
the dancers
thinking during
the show?
■ What are the pros and cons
in a family
where to
(Teachers may want experienced
to enlist a theater
professional
everyone
is from
the same
cultural
consult with the class
about the
elements
of a wellgroup? What about in families
made up of differing cultural
groups?
Objective:
History
“I Know Where I’ve Been”
Tracy:
Exercise
3 Behavioral Studies
Overture to
History
Writing
Tracy, come back up here.
I’ve got hampers of laundry
and my diet pill is wearing
off!
Teaching Tips
1 History
Writing
Script
Exercise
Featured Lesson Units
Experiential: The focus is on
understanding social dynamics
as well as collaboration and
teamwork in small and large
groups.
1
LES
Watch one of these shows (you may even
find the original Mickey Mouse Club still
playing in reruns on the Disney Channel).
Have you been a fan of one of these kinds of
shows? What did you know about the cast
members? Do you think what you see on the
show reflects who the person really is? (For
example, Tracy presents herself more or less as
she is, while Amber tries to project an image
much nicer than her actual personality.)
How do you think people on these shows
are affected by fame? How long does it last?
Does it change their life permanently or only
temporarily? How do you think you would
Experiential
handle being on a television show that made
you famous? To see how the lives of our
EXPRESS yourself
Experiential
H O U R S
What doYOU think?
Two of the notable names mentioned in
“Welcome to the ’60s” (pages 12 and 13) are
Frankie Avalon and his “favorite Mouseketeer,”
Annette Funicello. The original Mickey Mouse
Club (which ran from 1955 to 1959) featured
the Mouseketeers singing and dancing. Each
day had a different theme: Fun with Music
Day, Guest Star Day, Anything Can Happen
Day, Circus Day, and Talent Round-up Day.
Just as in Hairspray’s The Corny Collins Show,
the cast members (most prominently Annette)
had an enthusiastic fan following.
The Mickey Mouse Club returned in
1977 as The New Mickey Mouse Club, and
again in 1989 as The All-New Mickey Mouse
Club or MMC. This version of the show
featured then-unknowns Britney Spears,
Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Keri
Russell in the cast.
There are many shows currently on the air
that bring “instant celebrity” to the people
featured (American Idol, Star Search, even The
Real World or Survivor), in the same way that
Tracy becomes a star on The Corny Collins
Show.
2.
Reproducible
LES
CLASS
1.
go
Writing: The focus is on the
expression of thoughts in
written form.
LES
to
Using the Lessons
Discussion: The focus is on
facilitating an in-depth class
dialogue.
To go: A student worksheet of
14
2. Understanding the historical
perspective:
■ Understand that the consequences
of human intentions are
influenced by the means of
carrying them out.
■
Understand how the past affects
our private lives and society in
general.
■
Perceive past events with
historical empathy.
■
Evaluate credibility and
authenticity of historical sources.
■
Evaluate the validity and
credibility of different historical
interpretations.
Exercise:
A detailed description and instructions for the
activity to be facilitated in class.
Teaching Tips:
Direct questions teachers may use to help guide
the students through the activity.
Analyze the effects specific
decisions had on history. How
would things have been different
in the absence of these specific
decisions?
1955
1947
Jackie Robinson joins the Brooklyn Dodgers
and becomes the first black Major League
player.
In Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks
refuses to give up her seat to a white man
in defiance of local laws. Bus boycott led by
Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully
overturns the ordinance.
1957
1948
President Truman orders the integration of
the U.S. military.
1954
In Brown v. Topeka, Kansas, Board of
Education, the U.S. Supreme Court
declares that “separate educational
facilities are inherently unequal,” and
orders that students be admitted to public
schools without regard to race.
President
Dwight D.
Eisenhower
sends federal
troops to
enforce the
right of nine
black students
to enroll at
Central High School in Little Rock,
Arkansas.
continued on next page
The Standards listed throughout the StageNOTES™ Field Guide are excerpted from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (2nd Edition) by John S. Kendall
and Robert J. Marzano, published by Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association for Supervision and Curricular Development (ASCD), 1997.
12
13
“Welcome to the ‘60s”
“I Know Where I’ve Been” (continued from previous page)
1960
Sit-ins at segregated public restaurants
and lunch counters are held throughout
the South.
1961
Freedom Riders challenge “white only”
rules at drinking fountains, lunch
counters, and rest rooms in bus and
train stations in the South.
1967
Two hundred fifty thousand people
attend the March on Washington, where
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his
“I Have a Dream” speech.
Thurgood Marshall becomes the first
black Supreme Court justice.
Riots occur in Detroit and other large
cities.
The first black mayors of major U.S.
cities are elected in Cleveland, Ohio, and
Gary, Indiana.
1965
1968
1963
1962
James Meredith, a black student, enrolls
at the University of Mississippi under
protection of federal troops.
1963
Four young black girls are killed in a
church bombing in Birmingham,
Alabama.
Riots erupt in Watts, a ghetto
neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
the reactions of ordinary people to pranks
played by Funt and his cast. The show
first aired in 1948 and has been revived
on various TV networks for over 50 years.
Metrecal First introduced in 1960,
Metrecal (from “metered calories”) was a
canned diet drink, like today’s Slim·Fast.
Peyton Place Based on a popular novel,
Singer Eddie Fisher and perky film
comedienne Debbie Reynolds married in
1955 (they are the parents of
writer/actress Carrie Fisher, perhaps best
known as Princess Leia from the Star
Wars movies). Fisher fell in love with
Elizabeth “Liz” Taylor, and married her in
1959 on the same day he divorced
Debbie Reynolds. Taylor went to Italy in
1962 to film the epic Cleopatra.
Although Eddie Fisher was also in the
film, Taylor fell for her co-star Richard
“Dick” Burton. Their affair made
headlines worldwide. They married in
1964, divorced in 1974, and remarried
the following
year.
this 1957 melodrama delved into the
sordid secrets of a New England town. It
became the first prime-time soap opera
television series in 1964.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated.
Riots erupt across the country.
Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Liz and Dick
Gina Lollobrigida Sultry Italian actress
Gina Lollobrigida was known in the ‘50s
as “The Most Beautiful Woman in the
World.”
“Castro’s invading” In 1961 the United
States launched an unsuccessful attempt
to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro
by invading the Bay of Pigs. Tensions
remained high between Cuba and the
U.S., peaking in the Cuban Missile Crisis
in October of 1962.
Glenn Miller Popular bandleader and
composer of the ‘40s, known for hits
such as “Moonlight Serenade.”
Frankie Avalon and
his “favorite
Mouseketeer”
Teen idol Frankie
Avalon’s “favorite
Mouseketeer”
was Annette
Funicello, who
became a star on the ‘50s TV series The
Mickey Mouse Club. They met in 1958
and became a wildly popular couple,
starring in ‘60s movies such as Beach
Party (1963) and Bikini Beach (1964).
“Welcome to the ‘60s”
Listen for these names from the ‘60s
throughout Hairspray. See how many you
can catch.
trendsetting style, particularly her
bouffant hairdo and pillbox hats.
Connie Francis A top singer of the ‘50s
someone, male or female, who spent too
much time on their outsized hairdos.
and early ‘60s. She appeared in the
classic Spring Break movie, Where the
Boys Are (1960).
“Hair Hopper” A Baltimore term for
Gidget Pint-size surfer
girl originally played by
Sandra Dee in Gidget
(1959). Sequels
included Gidget Goes
Hawaiian (1961) and
Gidget Goes to Rome
(1963).
Jackie B. Kennedy
First Lady Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy,
wife of John F.
Kennedy, was
known for her
“Wilt the Stilt” At 7'1",
Wilt “The Stilt”
Chamberlain was
one of the NBA’s
legendary players,
setting numerous
records during
his 14-year
professional
basketball
career.
Candid
Camera
and Allen
Funt
Rock Hudson, Doris Day Starred together
in romantic comedies such as Pillow Talk
(1959) and Lover Come Back (1961).
He was tall, good looking, and debonair,
while she was known for her squeakyclean “good girl” image.
Allen
Funt
was the
host of Candid
Camera, the first
hidden-camera
stunt show,
which captured
Jackie Gleason Robust comedian best
known for creating The Honeymooners
television show in 1955. His trademark
phrases included "And away we go,"
"Hommina hommina hommina,"
and "To the moon, Alice!"
“Don’t tell me Khrushchev has his
shoes off again” On November 17,
1956, millions of television
viewers saw Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev pound the podium of the
United Nations General Assembly with
his shoe, shouting at the West, “We will
bury you!”
The Gabor Sisters Glamorous Hungarian
Chubby Checker Originally named Ernest
sisters Zsa Zsa, Magda, and Eva Gabor
became known in Hollywood for their
seductive, sophisticated, yet
slightly scatterbrained,
personalities.
Evans, singer Chubby Checker created a
dance sensation with his recording of
“The Twist” in 1960.
Mamie Eisenhower Wife
of President Dwight
“Ike” Eisenhower, she
was First Lady from
1953 to 1961, known for
her trademark bangs and
fondness for pink clothing.
The Hindenburg The 800-foot blimp,
Hindenburg, was the largest aircraft ever
flown. While landing at Lakehurst, New
Jersey, on May 6, 1937, the ship was
destroyed in a tragic fire when the
hydrogen that filled the blimp ignited.
(Modern blimps are filled with
nonflammable helium.)
Eva Marie Saint Beautiful blonde actress
who starred in such films as Hitchcock’s
North by Northwest (1959). ■
15
14
15
LES
LES
SON
1
Writing
Discussion
Objective
To explore various societal
perspectives and how they
have affected the course of
history.
From the
Script
Writing
Act 1, Scene 8
Edna and Tracy Turnblad both share a spirit for equality, fairness and friendship that is free of racial prejudice. In
this scene, the younger generation boldly leads the older generation into a protest in order to make society fair and
just.
Tracy:
Teaching Tips
■ Do you believe that people from
various groups and societies are
equal to each other and should
be treated in equal ways?
different societies and cultures can
be comfortable interacting with
one another? Or, on the other
hand, do you believe that there are
some important differences to
notice? If so, do those differences
affect our behavior? How?
■ Do you believe that members of
different cultural groups can date,
intermarry, have children, and
communicate as effectively as
families with all members from the
same cultural background? Explain
your feelings and beliefs.
■ What are the pros and cons
experienced in a family where
everyone is from the same cultural
group? What about in families
made up of differing cultural
groups?
Ms. Motormouth, you and little Inez
will walk in first. Mama and me will
be right behind you.
Penny:
Edna:
… and sisters!.
Excuse me?
Tracy:
■ Do you believe that people in
Objective
To analyze how media attention can
influence its audiences, and the
resulting consequences from a
historical perspective.
Tracy:
Okay. So this is how we’re gonna do
it; tomorrow, everyone bring your
mothers . . .
Tracy:
… and meet around the corner from
the studio and make signs!
1
History
History
Discussion
SON
They’ll never be able to shove them
back through the door with us
blocking it.
Exercise
The struggle to achieve equity in race relations became a central issue for society in the 1960s.
The white population had very little information and experience with the topic, unlike today, where
society strongly supports equal rights.
At first, have individuals in the class find subjects they feel strongly about and are willing to
discuss. Pair up students with different beliefs and have them debate these opposing viewpoints.
Script
Act 1, Scene 1
In this scene, the girls are watching a teen dance program on TV. Tracy and Penny are particularly struck by images of
cool, young people, how they dress, how they appear, and how they are encouraged to look, illustrating the ways in
which these icons are encouraged to appeal to the young TV audience.
Edna:
Velma:
Turn that racket down. I’m trying to
iron in here.
And we’re off! All right, people,
how many times do I have to tell you
— We do NOT touch ourselves —
anywhere — while on camera. Tammy,
lose the padding. You, too, Fender.
(the kids sheepishly turn away to
remove their padding)
And Link, stop hogging the camera;
you’re not Elvis yet. Amber...Hog
the camera.
Teaching Tips
Put the word "cool" on the board.
Note that the Corny Collins dancers
are termed "cool" on his show. Have
students write down all the words
related to the word. Then ask the
following questions:
■
Penny:
Yes! And put words on them!
From the
What is your perception of the
word "cool" today? Does it mean the
same today as it meant in the ‘50s
and ‘60s? If not, what word has
replaced it? Who would you consider
to be a "cool" person? Think about a
friend, someone in the media, family
member whom you consider "cool."
Why would you consider them "cool"?
■
Corny:
SO, IF EVERY NIGHT YOU’RE SHAKING
AS YOU LIE IN BED
AND THE BASS AND DRUMS
ARE POUNDING IN YOUR HEAD
WHO CARES ABOUT SLEEP
WHEN YOU CAN SNOOZE IN SCHOOL
THEY’LL NEVER GET TO COLLEGE
BUT THEY SURE LOOK COOL
DON’T NEED A CAP AND A GOWN
‘CAUSE THEY’RE THE
NICEST KIDS IN TOWN
THEY’RE THE
NICEST, NICEST
THEY’RE THE
NICEST, NICEST
THEY’RE THE
SUGAR AND SPICE-EST, NICEST
KIDS IN TOWN
2. In class, have your students discuss current events that they feel very strongly about. Some
examples might be a war or health care issues, such as drug prescription costs for the elderly.
Have all the issues written down on the blackboard and in each instance, have the class
identify and explain those that they have strong opinions about and those that they are not as
concerned with.
3. For homework, have the students interview people aged 60 and over who remember the
events listed in the Overture to History covering 1946 to 1968. Ask the interviewees what their
memories are of two or three events. Then, have the students discuss these interviews in small
groups of three or four, after which they can share their findings with the full class.
Take a look at Connie Francis, who
is mentioned in the above script
excerpt. Who would be considered
your Connie Francis today? What
would make him or her "cool"? Whom
do some people consider "cool" that
you do not? What images are
projected in the media today that you
like? What images are projected in
the media today that you do not like?
■
And that was our new dance of the
week — the “Stricken Chicken.” We’ll
be right back.
(Lights shift in the TV studio.)
Exercise
Have your students imagine an equivalent of an
American Bandstand, Soul Train, or Corny Collins Show
as it would be on TV today. Divide them into groups of
six, with each student becoming a character on the
show. The roles may include playing a producer like
Velma, an announcer like Corny Collins, or the dancing
couples. Have each group write a short scene
dramatizing each character motivation. For example,
why has the producer chosen to create this show for
his/her audience? What are the dancers thinking during
the show?
(Teachers may want to enlist a theater professional to
consult with the class about the elements of a well-
16
Velma:
And YOU, Mr. Collins! None of that
Detroit sound today. You have
something against Connie Francis?
Corny:
The kids are just over the moon for
rhythm and blues, Velma. They can’t
get enough.
Velma:
Corny:
1. Have your students read the Overture to History "I Know Where I’ve Been" (pages 11 and 12)
in order to identify two or three events that they might be familiar with. Ask them to take a
strong stance on one topic and a neutral stance on a second topic, covering as many dates and
events as possible. Then, have them pair up to discuss the different perspectives surrounding
each topic.
Amber:
Yes, mother.
17
They’re kids, Corny. That’s why we
have to steer them in the white
direction...I mean...you know what I
mean.
crafted and dramatic scene. This person can circulate
among the student writers and offer advice as they go
through the process of writing their scenes.)
Once the scenes have been written and presented in
class, discuss the similarities and differences among
them. Then, explore the various purposes that the
producers may have had for their audiences. In each
scene, look at the way in which the image of the
moderator or program host is projected and the ways in
which the dancers are projected. How do your students’
scenes, describing dance shows today, differ from or
resemble each other focusing on their proposed
influence on a viewing audience?
LES
SON
1
HISTORY
to
History
Experiential
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Experiential
Objective
To see how the lives of our
parents when they were
teenagers affect our decisions
and our lives today.
Teaching Tips
Begin with a brainstorm on
career options today, and
compare them to the career
choices of your parents. Are the
options the same or different?
■
Would you think about going
into the same profession or
doing the same kind of work
that members of your family are
doing? Do you daydream about
your future or do you prefer to
live in the moment and let the
future take care of itself? If
you’re a daydreamer, do you
dream of doing things within
your reach, or do you dream of
things that seem more difficult
to achieve? How do you
compare your dreams with those
of your sisters, brothers, friends,
and other peers?
■
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 1
Conflicting ideas concerning conformity and work ethic affected families back in the ‘50s and ‘60s just as they do today.
The teens in Hairspray were beginning to think that hard work and staying in school were not necessarily the right answer,
and certainly not the most glamorous answer to life. In this excerpt, we see Tracy’s growing interest in cutting school,
auditioning for The Corny Collins Show and what it might mean for her family.
Tracy:
Edna:
Mother, you are so fifties.
Even our first lady, Jackie
B. Kennedy, rats her hair.
Being big enough is not the
problem, Wilbur.
Tracy:
Thanks, Daddy.
Edna:
When I was your age my
parents begged me to run
away with the circus, but I
said, “No. That’s what you
want. I have dreams of my
own.” I dreamt of opening a
chain of joke shops
worldwide. So, okay, I’ve
still only got one, but some
day, if I can figure out how
to keep the air from leaking
out of my sofa-sized Whoopee
Cushion, I’m going to make a
noise heard ‘round the
world!
(Edna screams with delight!)
You follow your dream, baby.
I’m grabbin’ an Orange Crush
and heading back down to the
Har-Dee-Har Hut. I’ve got my
dream...And I wuv it!
you ain’t no
are ya? She’s a
— that’s what
in detention
(taking Wilbur aside)
Wilbur, talk to her. Girls
like Tracy...People like
us...You know what I’m
saying. They don’t put
people like us on TV —
Except to be laughed at.
Wilbur:
(to Tracy)
This TV thing... You really
want it?
Tracy:
It’s my dream, daddy.
Edna:
Wilbur:
(laughing again)
You’re not helping, Wilbur!
(Wilbur exits and Tracy
follows.)
Then you go for it. This is
America, babe. You gotta
think big to be big.
Tracy, come back up here.
I’ve got hampers of laundry
and my diet pill is wearing
off!
Tracy:
But, Mama I want to be
famous.
Edna:
You want to be famous? Learn
how to get blood out of car
upholstery. Now there’s a
skill you could take to the
bank. You think I wanted to
spend my life washing and
ironing other people’s
unmentionables? No, I wanted
to design them. I thought I
would be the biggest thing
in brassieres. Well, you
deal with what life gives
you. Now start folding.
3.
TEACHER
Watch one of these shows (you may even
find the original Mickey Mouse Club still
playing in reruns on the Disney Channel).
Have you been a fan of one of these kinds of
shows? What did you know about the cast
members? Do you think what you see on the
show reflects who the person really is? (For
example, Tracy presents herself more or less as
she is, while Amber tries to project an image
much nicer than her actual personality.)
How do you think people on these shows
are affected by fame? How long does it last?
Does it change their life permanently or only
temporarily? How do you think you would
handle being on a television show that made
you famous?
Tracy:
Ugh.
Exercise
Have the class discuss the role school plays in their future plans and expectations. Does school play a large part, or is
it insignificant? Do the choices they make in school reflect their dreams?
Next, ask the class to develop a survey exploring the attitude of people in their parents’ generation concerning school.
Possible survey topics can include what courses they took, how seriously they took these classes, how their culture and
family ethnicity effected them, what their families thought of education, how their educational path may or may not
have changed as they grew older and/or the consequences of their education on their lives. Once the survey questions
have been determined, each student should conduct the survey at home with friends or family members. In the
following class period, the students should discuss the answers they have obtained in groups of three or four, and reach
a consensus about the meaning of education for their interviewees. Finally, have the entire class reconvene to compare
the role of education for students both now and then.
2.
EXPRESS yourself
Ask yourself this question: What role does media play in my life? Then write a short but wellorganized one-to-two page composition looking at different forms of media that have a strong
impact on your life. Do you watch TV? What shows do you watch? Which ones have actors,
situations or story lines that you think about and find involving? How often do you go to the
movies? What kinds of movies do you tend to like? What is your favorite movie right now? What
movie are you looking forward to seeing and why? What about the news? How affected are you by
the news? What news do you listen to or read?
Organize your composition according to the specific medium you’re talking about and decide
whether or not you think that medium is a large, mid-size, or small part of your life.
18
After
H O U R S
What doYOU think?
Two of the notable names mentioned in
“Welcome to the ’60s” (pages 12 and 13) are
Frankie Avalon and his “favorite Mouseketeer,”
Annette Funicello. The original Mickey Mouse
Club (which ran from 1955 to 1959) featured
the Mouseketeers singing and dancing. Each
day had a different theme: “Fun with Music
Day,” “Guest Star Day,” “Anything Can
Happen Day,” “Circus Day,” and “Talent
Round-up Day.” Just as in Hairspray’s The
Corny Collins Show, the cast members (most
prominently Annette) had an enthusiastic fan
following.
The Mickey Mouse Club returned in
1977 as The New Mickey Mouse Club, and
again in 1989 as The All-New Mickey Mouse
Club or MMC. This version of the show
featured then-unknowns Britney Spears,
Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Keri
Russell in the cast.
There are many shows currently on the air
that bring “instant celebrity” to the people
featured (American Idol, Star Search, even The
Real World or Survivor), in the same way that
Tracy becomes a star on The Corny Collins
Show.
Edna:
Wilbur:
Yeah? Well,
first lady,
hair hopper
got her put
again.
1.
go
19
Refer to “Welcome to the ‘60s”
(pages 12 and 13) and search
for these items on the Internet.
Look for graphics as well as
other printouts. Prepare a fiveminute oral report on your
research.
Scrapbooks of teen idols were
very much a part of the world
for teenagers. To make this into
a fun event, gather the
graphics beforehand and create
your own scrapbook. Also,
when you present your report,
dress up in what you think
would be an outfit from 1962.
Overture to
Language Arts
rnblad),
inokur (Tracy Tu
Marissa Jaret W
n (Link Larkin)
Matthew Morriso
Corey Reynolds (Sea
weed J. Stubbs),
Kerry Butler (Penny
Pingleton)
“It Takes Two”
B
ook writer Mark
O’Donnell talks about
adapting Hairspray from
a screenplay into a musical.
StageNOTES: How did you begin
working on the script?
Mark O’Donnell
Summary of Standards for
LANGUAGE ARTS
Writing
■ Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies of the
writing process
Prewriting, drafting and revising,
editing and publishing
■
■
■
Demonstrates competence in the
stylistic and rhetorical aspects of
writing
Uses grammatical and
mechanical conventions in written
compositions
Gathers and uses information for
research purposes
Reading
■ Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies of the
reading process
■
■
general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of literary texts
general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of informational
texts
MARK O’ DONNELL: I started by
writing a synopsis of the showto-be in the manner of the plot
descriptions on a cast album.
I put in parentheses where I
thought a song would go. We
kept some of the classic lines — “We’ll
claw our way to the top!” — but there’s
not too much dialogue from the
screenplay.
We used John Waters’ story as a
framework to start with, so we knew
where it began and ended. And then we
had to get characters saying interesting
things — memorable, funny things.
I like incongruities. I was always
crazy about Oscar Wilde. You know, “A
gentleman never hurts another’s feelings
unintentionally.” And although no one
would call Hairspray Oscar Wilde, I did
try to write dialogue that seems to have
incongruities: “What are you doing in this
huge crowd of minorities?” That kind of
thing.
SN: What sorts of changes did you need to
make for the stage version?
MO: In the movie, Tracy gets on the show
right away, she gets Link right away. She
is a force of nature, and she is not to be
defied. But on stage, what do you do for
the next hour and a half? We felt she
needed to overcome obstacles, so we
deferred the love and the success.
We simplified the plot, and we
dropped or combined characters. For
instance, the character of Velma exists in
the movie, but she has no power. She’s
just a pushy stage mom. I thought it
would be much more effective to give the
villain power.
We also fleshed out other characters.
Link and Seaweed are fun to look at in
the movie, but can you tell me anything
about them as people? They simply exist.
We tried to create interrelationships, so
Seaweed was key to Tracy’s success,
which explained their friendship.
We tried a version that had no Little
Inez and no Penny. Tracy was alone, she
had no friends at all. I think it was an
economical move — we thought, “We
can’t have fourteen principal characters!”
But it looked terribly cold when we saw
it, so we went back to what we had
before.
A cut we made both for economy and
for emotional value is that all the
characters besides Tracy are fatherless.
Whatever you think of Tracy, she’s the
only one with a father. That’s what gives
her some grounding, and makes her a
more optimistic person I think.
Trim, trim, trim was the name of the
game always. If the show is to have a
magical spell, it has to be relentless.
SN: Did John Waters make any
suggestions?
MO: He did, especially about language.
I had used the word “klutz.” He said,
Listening and Speaking
■ Demonstrates competence in
speaking and listening as tools for
learning
20
“They wouldn’t say klutz.”
So we changed it to clod —
the line ended up being
cut anyway. Originally,
when Tracy said, “I wish
every day were Negro Day,” Corny’s
answer was, "I read you like the tabloids, kid.” And John
Waters said there were no tabloids in Baltimore. So we
changed it to “I read you like tomorrow’s headlines.”
Which is probably better, since Tracy’s a visionary.
At one point we had Tracy popping a lot of diet pills
to explain why she’s so peppy, and John Waters thought
that was a little too “bad girl.” On the other hand, we
had some sentimental moments with Edna talking about
mother love and he said, “Well, it’s getting a little
Hallmark.” So he kept us from being too treacly on the
one hand, and untrue to the character on the other.
SN: How did you collaborate with the composer-lyricist
team, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman?
MO: I had ideas for situations that could become songs.
In one instance,
I suggested that
the three
teenage girls be
in parallel
places,
complaining to
their mothers
— it’s the old
“Get me outta
here!” song
(“Mama, I’m
a Big Girl
Now”). And I
suggested in
st
ca
the
of
ers
mb
the second
acy Turnblad) with me
Marissa Jaret Winokur (Tr
act that
when Tracy breaks out of jail, and Penny
breaks out of her home, that they have parallel love duets
that become a quartet (“Without Love”).
21
I didn’t know
exactly what
the song would
be — that’s
where Marc
and Scott
came in.
Collaboration can be
maddening, but it’s never a blank slate — there’s
always input. We were lucky that we were a pretty
friendly team.We could enjoy each others’ suggestions
without resenting them.
SN: How did you become interested in writing? Do you have
any advice for aspiring writers?
MO: Most of the playwrights I know were puppeteers as
kids, they put on puppet shows.They did skits in high
school, played around with the tape recorder. Nowadays,
chances are you’re playing around with the video camera.
You know you’re a writer if you have a compulsion to record
it, to write it down.
I have a twin brother, who was David Letterman’s head
writer for many years. As kids we would act out little skits
in school, until the teachers finally said, “You wanna do
something for the Christmas show?” So I guess I had an
automatic vaudeville partner.
Writing is a combination of imagination and
observation. Whether you’re writing a story or drawing a
cartoon or writing a play, it’s all storytelling. I always refer
to cartoons as the world’s shortest plays: They have
characters, they have sets, they have dialogue, but it’s
usually only one line.
If you want to be a writer, you should find the world
interesting. There are no writers who don’t look. You must
observe. Everything has to be fascinating. I keep a journal
where I write down weird stuff I overhear, or strange
situations that might be interesting to explore — just
snippets of funny dialogue. The world is an endless font of
material. ■
LES
LES
SON
2
Writing
Discussion
Objective
To learn techniques and
general strategies of the
writing process for creating
dramatic texts.
Teaching Tips
Who do you know that is a
really good storyteller? How
do they make those stories
interesting? Do they use
interesting language? Do they
set up suspense at the
beginning of their story? Do
you have any techniques that
work well for you when telling
a story? Do you prefer a story
that contains heavy conflict, a
lot of description, or action?
■
From the
Script
Writing
Act 1, Scene 3
Tracy is auditioning to be part of the Council. All of the conflicts she will be facing are presented here dramatically.
Amber:
Velma:
DO YOU DANCE LIKE YOU DRESS?
Link:
GIRLS, THERE’S NO NEED TO BE
CRUEL!
Velma:
Would you swim in an integrated
pool?
(The music stops dead and the
COUNCIL gasps in shock)
FIRST IMPRESSIONS CAN BE TOUGH
AND WHEN I SAW YOU, I KNEW IT
IF YOUR SIZE WEREN’T ENOUGH
THE LAST ANSWER JUST BLEW IT!
Council Members:
Velma and the Council Members:
SO WE’RE KICKING YOU OUT!
Velma:
I’m sure I would. I’m all for
integration. It’s the New
Frontier?
WITH YOUR FORM AND YOUR FACE
WELL, ISN’T YOUR FAULT
YOU’RE JUST CAUGHT IN A CASE OF
"MISS…
Velma:
Not in Baltimore it isn’t.
Velma and the Council Members:
BALTIMORE…
Tracy:
Um, where’s Corny?
dance for him.
I’d love to
Objective
From the
Script
To learn to gather information
in order to enhance dramatic
writing.
Act 1, Scene 4
Tracy’s been put in detention again for wearing a “monumental hairdo.” When she gets there, she meets Seaweed, whose
mother is the host of The Corny Collins Show’s monthly “Negro Day” broadcast. An immediate camaraderie is established
between them.
Teaching Tips
Principal:
Tracy Turnblad, once
again your monumental
hair-don’t has seriously
obstructed everyone’s
view of the blackboard.
As Principal of
Patterson Park High I
condemn you to three
more days of detention!
OOH’S
AND SO, MY DEAR, SO SHORT AND
STOUT
YOU’LL NEVER BE "IN"
Tracy:
2
Language Arts
Language Arts
Discussion
SON
Velma:
…CRABS!"
You’re free to go.
Velma:
I’m the producer and may I be
frank?
(Music back in, ominously
building, building)
What sorts of characters do
you like in dramatic media?
Do you like characters who are
fair-minded, offhand, casual,
imperious, strident, goofy, silly,
chaotic, or problematic? If you
were asked to create a
particular character, what sort
of character would you choose?
■
(Lights up on TRACY in
detention. Around her
are SEAWEED, LORRAINE,
GILBERT, THAD, DUANE and
another student asleep
at his desk. LORRAINE
is at the blackboard
writing repeatedly, "I
will not talk in speech
class.")
Tracy:
Detention! Is there no
pity for a teen just
trying to fit in?
Seaweed:
Maybe you oughtn’t try
so hard?
Tracy:
Excuse me, but why are
you always so happy?
You get detention just
about every time I do,
and I’ve never seen you
complain.
Seaweed:
Oh but I do. This is my
way of complaining.
(SEAWEED turns on a
small transistor radio.
MUSIC starts and he does
a soulful little dance.)
It’s how I use my blues.
Here’s a little
something–something
signified to say,
"Hello, my name’s
Seaweed J. Stubbs, and
what’s yours."
Tracy:
That’s unbelievable.
Can I do that?
Seaweed:
I don’t know. Can you?
(TRACY & SEAWEED dance
together)
Tracy:
Duane:
Use them blues, brother.
Use ’em to lose ’em.
Hello. My name is Tracy
Turnblad.
Tracy:
Hey, that move’s swift.
Not bad for a white
girl.
Seaweed:
The man can dine on a
diet of detention so
long as he don’t starve
me of my tunes.
(another step)
Ain’t no black and white
in here. Detention is a
rainbow experience.
(SEAWEED does another
step)
Gilbert:
Seaweed:
Exercise
In the Language Arts Overture, “It Takes Two” (pages 18 to 19), Mark O’Donnell states that he was very
careful to shape the movie into a piece that would hold its own dramatically on the stage. The first thing he
did was heighten the initial obstacles or conflicts in the movie in order to have a drama that would play out
during the entire show. For students to gain experience in using techniques to heighten the drama, have
them bring in human-interest stories that they find in the newspaper.
At first, have three or four students read their stories aloud and discuss both the ways in which the conflicts
in these stories could be immediately established, as well as their possible outcome. Next have each student
circle and identify the conflict in their particular newspaper excerpt. After that, students can break up into
groups of four or five where they will read and evaluate each piece, choosing the one most capable of
becoming the strongest drama. The students can talk about ways in which they might write out a dramatic
scene, focusing on possible characters, storylines and their final outcomes. The actual writing of this piece
can happen in the Language Arts Writing Lesson, here the students will combine the facts in the articles with
their own dramatic license in order to embellish and heighten the drama.
22
Exercise
The writing exercise will continue from the discussion exercise in the previous segment. After the discussion segment,
students should be given a homework assignment which involves developing both a fact sheet and research materials
useful for writing their scenes. In their groups, the students will then select five characters to appear in their dramatic
adaptation using their chosen human-interest article as a guide. Simultaneously, they should also clarify the
responsibilities of each student, i.e. who will write the dialogue, who will play which role in the drama, etc.
The research component of this homework assignment will involve creating information based on both the original
article and on information from other sources, i.e. the Internet. However, much of the final material should come from
the writer’s imagination or memory of similar characters they’ve observed in life. The more research, observations, and
factual material gathered, the better their writing will be.
Once this research has been gathered and particular roles have been assigned to each student, the group should write
scenes in which characters are fleshed out and are made up to interact in ways that dramatize these stories. The
scenes can be a flash forward or flash back sequence. What leads up to the characters’ conflict? What happens after
the conflict?
23
LES
SON
2
LANGUAGE
to
AR TS
go
Language Arts
Experiential
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Experiential
Objective
From the
Script
To demonstrate collaboration
skills in speaking and listening
while working on a group
project.
Act 1, Scene 6
Tracy Turnblad is a dynamic young woman and not about to stand for anyone putting her down. With integrity and
optimism, she forges ahead in spite of the criticism she receives of her mission to integrate Baltimore and on her
weight.
Teaching Tips
Yeah! And that was our
dance of the week –
“Peyton Place After
Midnight,” – introduced
to you by our brand new
Council member, Miss
Tracy Turnblad.
Corny:
Do you tend to be the
person in a group who has lots
of ideas? Do you tend to be
the person in a group who is
very good at listening and
understanding what other
people have said? Do you tend
to be someone with ideas that
you find difficult to share
and/or express? Do you find it
exciting to be in meetings
where collaboration is ongoing?
Are there kinds of personalities
in the group dynamic that
make it easier or more difficult
for you to express yourself?
■
Edna:
She can’t hear you.
(The phone rings and SHE
answers it.)
Hello?... Yes. This
is...her childhood home.
No, I’m not her father.
(Back to the show...)
Edna:
So let’s wave a wistful
bye-bye to Brenda — see
you next year.
Oh, my word! Tracy!
Live in our own living
room!
Council Members:
Wilbur:
(waving to BRENDA as SHE
exits)
Awww...
I think I’ve seen her
here before.
absolutely nothing else.
(ALL applaud and cheer)
But someday I hope to be
the first woman
president of the world
or a Rockette. You’ve
got to think big to be
big!
Edna:
Imagine, my little girl,
regular at last.
...and inaugurate the
newest member of our
Council, Tracy Turnblad!
Cozy up to old Corny and
tell us about yourself,
Trrrrace.
And if you were
president, what would
your first official act
be?
Tracy:
I’d make every day Negro
Day!
Velma & Spritzer:
Aaaaiiiieeeee!!!!!
(SPRITZER runs off in
horror, VELMA follows.)
Tracy:
Penny:
Well, I go to Patterson
Park High, I watch your
show, and I do
It’s me,
Exercise
The exercise for the Experiential Language Arts
Lesson segment is to present each human interest
story scene as part of a unified dramatic piece.
First, the class as a whole should brainstorm a
structure that brings the scenes together. After this
structure has been agreed upon, students can be
assigned particular tasks. For example, some
students can write transitional material as well as
make changes in the present scenes to
accommodate the new format. Others can direct the
scenes, stage manage, manage and determine the
props, design sets and costumes and/or act in the
What doYOU think?
For an interesting after-school activity, take some time to observe people on the bus, the
subway, in the streets, at home, etc. Carry a small pad and when you see people who catch
your interest, jot down some notes about their appearance, the way they carry themselves,
their vocal qualities, how they speak to other people and what it is that has attracted you to
them. Then write a short description of four or five people whom you have selected from the
hundreds you’ve seen to be the subject of a thumbnail sketch.
Corny:
piece. Note that two full class periods will be
required to have a productive rehearsal and a
rewarding presentation.
Once again, the teacher might bring in a theater
professional or someone on staff with experience in
putting together collaborative production to work
with students while they go through this process.
2.
EXPRESS yourself
You have just experienced working with a number of people in a collaborative process. How
was that experience for you? What role were you able to play? Was it something you
volunteered for, or was it assigned to you? Were you happy in that role? Did you find that
you worked well with people and vice versa? Did it start out as a positive collaboration or
did you have to learn how to make it positive as the work progressed? On the other hand,
did you find a successful working situation impossible?
Set aside some time to do a free association journal entry which begins with the openended sentence “The role I was able to play in putting on the class presentation of human
interest stories was…” Next, finish that sentence and for five minutes simply write about
your experience and why it was interesting, productive, not productive, etc.
Bring your journal entry into class and share and discuss it with a partner.
24
After
H O U R S
Mark O’Donnell, who wrote the book for Hairspray, talks about the combination of
imagination and observation as something always present for writers. The class has
experienced that by writing characters created from a combination of fact and imagination.
Corny:
Penny:
And she’s going to be a
regular.
Hi, Tracy.
Penny!
1.
TEACHER
3.
25
There are many characters that you
have developed from the human
interest stories. In part, you have
also developed them visually both
in your imagination and in terms of
costume elements. Now, find
photos and portraits in magazines
of people resembling the characters
created in class. Some people in
the class who are particularly fond
of drawing can contribute sketches
or cartoons of these characters to
add to the picture collection. Bring
these pictures to class, and in
groups of eight, determine the ones
that best represent the characters.
Put those selected photos or
drawings up on the blackboard and
see if the other groups in the class
can identify the characters
represented by these visual images.
LES
Overture to
Behavioral Studies
BEHAVIORAL STUDIES
■
Understands that group and
cultural influences contribute to
human development, identity, and
behavior
■
Understands various meanings of
social group, general implications
of group membership, and
different ways that groups
function
■
■
Hefty. Plus-sized. Dimple-kneed.
Those are all from articles about Hairspray. They never want to use the word “fat” so
they find every other word there is. It’s like nobody can talk about it, or even say it out
loud. Why is that?
There are studies around that say girls who are five years old already have a bad selfimage. They feel bad when they look in the mirror, and they’re five years old. That is
really crazy!
Look at this — I still have my report card from kindergarten. It says “Marissa needs
to learn to control and lower her voice.” Well, I guess I didn’t really pay attention to
that. I know they probably meant well — “girls should be quiet and polite” — but
through your whole life there are people who want to tell you what you should do and
who you should be. I don’t think you should always listen to them.
I’ve been lucky, I guess. I always had a lot of self-confidence — that’s what got
me into performing. And most of the time nobody gave me too much trouble
about my size. I’m short — just five feet tall — and I’m not a skinny little stick. But I
had a lot of friends, I was a cheerleader, I was in shows at school. I just ignored anyone
who said I shouldn’t do those things, I guess.
Of course I would love to lose 10 pounds. I would never lie and say I don’t think
about it, but I don’t think about it every day. I love my body. I don’t like wearing clothes
that hide or cover it. I love wearing costumes that show it off.
Whenever I would go out and audition for parts, I always decided I wouldn’t take the
“poor fat girl” roles. That’s not who I am. When I heard they were doing a musical of
Hairspray I thought, yeah, that’s for me.
I know that some people see my weight first, but I don’t think of Tracy as a role
model for all the heavy girls out there — she’s more than that. She’s an individual. She
doesn’t fit the mold. This show says that you can be whoever you really are, and not only
that, you can win.
John Waters always likes to say that what he loves most about Hairspray is that
when they do it in high schools, there will finally be a part for “the fat girl and the drag
queen.” It’s cool to be part of something like this, a show that really says something.
Playing Tracy — well, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life just
because of all the energy it takes, but it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m doing
my best to enjoy it — and trying not to lose too much weight.
3
Behavioral Studies
Discussion
“Big, Blonde & Beautiful”
Marissa Jaret Winokur, the original Tracy Turnblad, talks about confidence, body image,
and self-acceptance.
SON
Discussion
Objective
To analyze change due to
conflict, cooperation, and
interdependence among
individuals, groups, and
institutions.
Teaching Tips
■ Do you belong to a social,
sports, church, or any other
particular group? Would you
say these groups are filled
with conflict or cooperation?
What might some conflicts in
a particular group be? Why
and how do behaviors in
groups tend to shift? How
much of this has to do with
attitudes? How and why might
attitudes tend to change in
some groups?
■ Do you presently belong to
a group that you wish would
make a shift in behavior and
attitude? How might those
shifts be accomplished?
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 6
Prior to this scene, several elements have already conspired to begin a cultural revolution, which is reflected in Tracy’s success
both romantically and on TV. In this scene, the antagonists try to resist these changes.
Spritzer:
Velma:
Mrs. Von Tussle, Negro Day everyday?
That chubby Communist girl and kissing
on the mouth with possibly parted
lips... I assure you, controversy is
not what Ultra Clutch wishes to
promote.
Corny:
Spritzer:
Mrs. Von Tussle, how do you plan to
handle this?
26
Corny:
Mr. Spritzer, to keep your audience,
you got to keep up with the times.
This show’s fine the way it is.
.......
YOU CAN’T SAY I’M A BIGOT
BUT IT JUST ISN’T TRUE
LOOK, I LOVE SAMMY DAVIS
AND HE’S BLACK AND A JEW!
Velma:
I plan to start by firing him!
Corny:
You can’t fire Corny Collins from The
Corny Collins Show.
Exercise
Have your students look at samples of
advertisements either from magazines or from TV
shows. Have them discuss the images and what they
mean to them.
After having this discussion, focus the lesson on the
issues surrounding targeting audiences for the
purpose of selling products. Ask your students why
advertisers target audiences, as well as the
consequences, benefits, and challenges of targeting.
“That chubby Communist girl and kissing on the
mouth with possibly parted lips… I assure you,
controversy is not what Ultra Clutch wishes to
promote.” In response, Corny Collins says, “Negroes
and chubby girls buy hairspray, too, Mr. Spritzer.”
Understands conflict, cooperation,
and interdependence among
individuals, groups, and
institutions
They do it all the time on
Velma:
Negroes and chubby girls buy
hairspray, too, Mr. Spritzer.
Next, have them look at the script where Mr.
Spritzer, the advertiser on The Corny Collins Show,
begins the excerpt above with the following
statement:
Understands that interactions
among learning, inheritance and
physical development affect
human behavior
Why not?
Lassie!
27
BUT THEY BETTER GET SET
FOR A FULL OUT ASSAULT
THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BOILED
MISS BALTIMORE CRABS
(End of song. End of Scene Six.)
Discuss those two lines of dialogue with the class,
asking them to interpret what those two lines mean
to them. Ask the class whether that discussion
about advertising and targeted audiences applies to
our world today. Have the discussion continue by
compiling a list of targeted audiences that the
students can observe and can identify either in
magazines, TV, the subway, or movies today.
Furthermore, have them sort advertisements that
they have observed in terms of targeting audiences.
In addition to this discussion, encourage students to
brainstorm new advertisements that focus on
particular targeted audiences, i.e. the elderly, young
children, Hispanic, Asian, Caucasian, middle-class
audiences, geographical locations, etc. After
brainstorming and discussing the nature of various
targeted audiences, have students create
advertisements for a select audience. Collect the
work, and for the next class period, read and discuss
the most successful among them. These students
can get extra credit for strong brainstorming ideas
and creative writing.
LES
LES
SON
3
Experiential
Writing
Objective
To examine ways in which
cultural influences affect selfesteem, identity and behavior.
Teaching Tips
■ Do you like to be part of
groups that are just like you?
Do you like to be part of
groups that are different from
you?
From the
Script
Experiential
Act 1, Scene 7
Tracy, a new teen idol, has her phone ringing off the hook. Her mother, Edna, is also celebrated as the popular
mother of her popular daughter. Both Tracy and Edna quickly adapt to their newly forming "glam" images and
roles in the popular culture.
All:
Judine:
YOUR MAMA’S WELCOMING THE SIXTIES
OH OH OH OH OH OH OH OH
YOUR MAMA’S WELCOMING THE SIXTIES
OH OH OH OH OH OH OH
GO MAMA, GO, GO, GO!
(FANS besiege TRACY for photos and
autographs.)
Dynamites:
DONCHA LET NOBODY TRY TO STEAL YOUR FUN
’CAUSE A LITTLE TOUCH OF LIPSTICK NEVER
HURT NO ONE
THE FUTURE’S GOT A MILLION ROADS FOR YOU
TO CHOOSE
BUT YOU’LL WALK A LITTLE TALLER IN SOME
HIGH-HEEL SHOES
Shayna:
Tracy:
TAKE YOUR OLD-FASHIONED FEARS
AND ONCE YOU FIND THE STYLE THAT MAKES YOU
FEEL LIKE YOU’RE
SOMETHING FRESH AND NEW
Dynamites:
To examine ways in which
one’s inheritance or cultural
status becomes threatened
when a competing and
emerging cultural group
overtakes that privileged
position.
Teaching Tips
■ What do you think a fair
society would look like? Do
you think it’s possible for
groups to treat each other
with fairness?
Dynamites:
AND JUST THROW THEM AWAY
■ How do you think you'd
react to stardom? Has Tracy
had to make big changes to
her personality in order to fit
into a group? Might she find
learning new things among
people who function
differently from her a negative
or positive experience?
Objective
Kamilah:
WELCOME TO THE RHYTHM OF A BRAND NEW DAY
■ Think of how you have or
have not adjusted to groups
that are different.
Mr. Pinky’s Staff:
YOU SHOULD ADD SOME COLOR AND A FRESH NEW
“DO”
STEP ON OUT
HEAR US SHOUT
Tracy & Dynamites:
MAMA, THAT’S YOUR CUE!!!
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH
(EDNA emerges from the shop looking
resplendent.)
Dynamites:
’CAUSE IT’S TIME FOR A STAR
WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU!
Exercise
Have your students brainstorm the effects of
social acceptance on personality. Have them
explore its influence on how we dress, speak,
walk, eat, and generally conduct our lives. Go
over possible scenarios that focus on issues of
social acceptance and personal confidence.
When preparing for this assignment, remind
students of the relationship between social
acceptance and confidence. We have all been in
situations where a cultural environment has
conflicted with our personalities. We’ve also
probably all experienced situations where the
cultural environment supports and accepts our
personalities. In a short in-class writing exercise,
have students recall their experiences with these
two contrasting situations. (“Cultural
environment” can refer not only to ethnic culture
but also to pop trends like hip-hop culture. Have
students discuss how they define a “culture.”)
After they have done a short written piece
28
3
Behavioral Studies
Behavioral Studies
Writing
SON
identifying these two situations, have them
choose one situation for a well-developed one- to
two-page composition that they will also begin in
class. In the first paragraph have them describe
and define the cultural situation that they have
chosen to represent concluding that paragraph
with a statement about whether or not that
situation made them personally comfortable. In
the next paragraph, have the students describe
themselves in reference to that specific cultural
situation so that we can see who they are and
how they affected and were affected by that
situation. In the final paragraph, have them
describe an incident that is indicative of how
well they did or did not function in that social
situation. Ultimately, they will be writing a
composition about a comfortable or an
uncomfortable social situation that they can
recall and find interesting to write about.
Option: Students can bring their essays in to a
second class where they will exchange their work
with another student and edit each other’s
assignment.
■ Do you feel like you are
part of a group that is mostly
privileged, not privileged, or
pretty much in a neutral
position? How do you identify
yourself within this group?
■ Have your students write
about their thoughts on these
questions for a continuous
fifteen-minute period. Next
have them decide if they
would like to share their
thoughts, first with a partner
and then with the class.
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 8
The Turnblads, Motormouth Maybelle’s family, and all the people who have been marginalized become idols of teen
culture. With confidence, strength of character, and enthusiasm, they accept and relish their new positions.
However, the group that has been overshadowed by Tracy and Seaweed’s success takes a spiteful revenge as
expressed in this upcoming scene.
Amber:
Well, well, well, Tracy
Tugboat, you finally
found a title you could
win: Miss Special Ed!
Tracy:
You throw like a girl!
Seaweed:
Hey, no fair throwing
at the head.
Link:
Knock it off, Amber
Gym Teacher:
That’s right, go for
his nuts!
(the ball barely misses
his head)
Tracy:
Amber Von Tussle, you
have acne of the soul.
Gym Teacher:
Students…Commence!
(And with a shrill
whistle the game
begins. AMBER gets the
ball and throws it at
TRACY.)
Link:
Everybody take it easy.
This isn’t World War
Three.
(AMBER gets the ball
away from LINK and
takes dead aim at
TRACY’S head.)
Amber:
Says you! Eat dodge
ball, Trampy Ton-olard!
(SHE viciously snaps
the ball right into
TRACY’s head. TRACY
crumples to the ground,
knocked out. A whistle
blows.)
Gym Teacher:
Game over.
(school bell rings)
Class dismissed! All
right girls, who wants
to take a shower?
Extra credit!
(the GIRLS and GYM
TEACHER exit)
Amber:
Hey, thunder thighs,
dodge this!
Exercise
It’s hard to imagine what it feels like to be in either a high or low-status group, unless you have
experienced it first hand. The following is an in-class exercise that can provide this experience.
Over the next two days, have your students choose a privileged group based on gender. For
example, one day, females will comprise the high-status group. They will be called upon first when
students raise their hands to volunteer answers. They will receive praise for their answers and in
general these will be subjects of attention. The other students will mostly be ignored except for
points of criticism. The class can come up with tasks that the male students will perform for the
others, such as sharpening pencils upon request, carrying books to class, opening doors, etc. On
the second day, switch the status of these gender groups and repeat this exercise. Finally, let the
class decide if they, in fact, want to continue with the status experiment or alternatively discuss
ways in which status distinctions can be eliminated and groups can be equalized. To finalize this
experiment, have students determine the nature of privilege in a group.
An alternative role-playing exercise may involve students acting out stories based upon newspaper
headlines that suggest status relationships. In these improvisations, students can be stopped and
asked to reflect upon their roles of privilege or the lack thereof. Students can then switch roles
and replay these improvisations.
29
Overture to
B E H AV I O R A L S T U D I E S
to
go
Life Skills
LIFE SKILLS
NAME
DATE
CLASS
TEACHER
1.
What doYOU think?
Marissa Jaret Winokur plays Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. There is an interview with her in the
Overture to Behavioral Studies: “Big, Blonde & Beautiful” (page 24). Using information from
this interview, pretend that you and she are close friends, and that you are being interviewed
about her by a journalist for a celebrity magazine. Describe your friendship, how long you’ve
known her, experiences you’ve shared with her, your opinion of her character, etc. Most
importantly, imagine how she has felt playing the role of an outsider and whether that has been
difficult or rewarding for her identity. Write down the interviewer’s questions and your answers.
Share your writing in class, where you and your classmates can observe the varying opinions
people have of the actress, and the ways in which playing the role of an outsider has affected
her identity.
2.
EXPRESS yourself
Would you like to see more social integration on TV? Would you like to see couples from
different races and ethnic backgrounds as boyfriends and girlfriends, friends, lovers, and
marriage partners on TV and in life? Why or why not? Write out your thoughts, using
specific examples to explain your opinions. Your teacher will compile an anonymous survey
from the class so that you may compare your responses with others.
3.
After
H O U R S
In the interview with Marissa
Jaret Winokur, we see how she
feels being a “hefty,” highspirited and “dimple-kneed” girl.
Compose a two-paragraph letter
to Marissa about how you feel
seeing a young woman on stage
with such a positive self-image.
Bring your letter to class and be
prepared to read it to your
classmates, who will also read
their letters to you.
Thinking and Reasoning
■ Understands and applies the
basic principles of presenting an
argument
■
Understands and applies basic
principles of logic and reasoning
■
Effectively uses mental processes
that are based in identifying
similarities and differences
(compares, contrasts, classifies)
■
A
■
Applies basic trouble-shooting
and problem-solving techniques
■
Applies decision-making
techniques
you write?
MARC SHAIMAN: I beg Scott to
come into the room with the
piano. We think of the idea for a
song, and I’ll just sit at the
piano and sort of … “Play,
monkey, play!” (laughs)
Working With Others
■ Contributes to the overall effort of
a group
■
Uses conflict-resolution
techniques
■
Works well with diverse individuals
and in diverse situations
■
Displays effective interpersonal
communication skills
■
Demonstrates leadership skills
Marc Shaiman
Performs self-appraisal
■
Considers risks
■
Demonstrates perseverance
■
Maintains a healthy self-concept
■
Restrains impulsivity
SCOTT WITTMAN: Everything’s
done at the piano. We don’t sit
in separate rooms and write. We
sit at the piano and figure out
what the scene calls for and
what the character wants.
MS: I start playing music — it
comes pretty simply for me —
and then we start carving away
from the top. And as the lyrics
start forming I amend the
melody or chords.
Self-Regulation
■ Sets and manages goals
■
conversation with Marc Shaiman and
Scott Wittman, composer and colyricists of Hairspray.
StageNOTES: How do you work together when
Understands and applies basic
principles of hypothesis testing
and scientific inquiry
Life Work
■ Makes effective use of basic tools
Scott Wittman
SN: What kind of research did
you do for Hairspray?
MS: Both as procrastination and
as a very valuable tool, we’ll go off and buy
every possible reference book on the subject.
thought, “Hm, that’s a great phrase.”
SW: “Run and Tell That” came out of there as
well. We make lists of the words that pop out
at us, until we find the title or the hook.
SN: Were you inspired by particular ‘60s
songs?
MS: For every song in the score, I could tell
you two songs that were the inspiration for
the musical groove. “You Can’t Stop the
Beat” is inspired by “River Deep, Mountain
High.” There’s also a connection with “The
Beat Goes On,” which meant “life goes on.”
It sort of means the same thing here, but it’s
both figuratively and literally about “the
beat.” “Good Morning, Baltimore” certainly
has the sound of “Be My Baby.” “Heat
Wave” has the basic groove for “Welcome to
the Sixties.”
“Without Love” was inspired by “Your
Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher” and “You’re
All I Need to Get By.” I cheated a little there
and went a little further into the ‘60s than
the time period of Hairspray. My idea —
and my excuse (laughs) — was that the kids
are thinking ahead. The first time we wrote
the song “Without Love,” Seaweed started it,
and we had the book writers give him lines
into the song that said, “Somewhere out
there there’s a new world, new rhythms, new
sounds.”
SW: Lots of research books. I also bought
Seventeen magazines of the period on eBay.
SN: What song was the most difficult for you
■
Manages money effectively
MS: We found a great book called Black Talk,
■
Pursues specific jobs
■
Makes general preparation for
entering the work force
■
Makes effective use of basic life
skills
a fantastic book about the last century of
black slang. We actually have a lot of books
on slang, but none that were so particular to
the black community.
MS: Velma’s song kept changing and
changing.
■
Displays reliability and a basic
work ethic
■
to write?
SW: “The blacker the berry, the sweeter the
juice” was in there.
SW: After Tracy sang “I Can Hear the Bells,”
the audience was so enamored of her they
didn’t want anyone onstage calling her fat or
ugly.
continued on next page
Operates effectively within
organizations
30
MS: When we saw it there on paper, we
Uses various information sources,
including those of a technical
nature, to accomplish specific
tasks
■
“You Can’t Stop the Beat”
31
LES
SON
4
Life Skills
MS: But in the story we had to
immediately have her rejected because
of the way she looks, and her
principles.
SW: We wrote a song called “No One
On My TV Show Will Ever Look Like
That,” and the audience wasn’t
having it.
MS: The audience hated Tracy being so
poked fun of, even though it was by
the villain and you obviously hate her
for saying those things. Then we tried
another song with the same melody,
called “I Prefer the Status Quo,”
which was a more veiled way for Velma
to reject Tracy — to speak in a bigoted
way without being found out. But
finally we realized that we needed to
write something funny.
SW: “Miss Baltimore Crabs” gave her a
showier, “Disney villainess” – style
number.
MS: Even with that song, we had to cut
it down to the bare minimum. We just
needed to make the point that Tracy’s
not getting on the show, and that the
villain is lost in her illusions.
SN: Were you interested in theater
when you were in high school?
SW: I grew up in Nanuet, New York. I
was in every musical and in every play
— I think we did three a year. But
even if I didn’t get a part in the show,
I would be on the stage crew —
anything to be involved. This is
terrible, but I cut school every
Wednesday and I’d go into the city and
buy standing room tickets to shows. I
just saw as much as I could. All
through high school in the summer I
would apprentice in summer stock, for
no money. I think at one point they
wanted me to pay them (laughs). One
week you’d be doing props, one week
you’d be on the stage crew, one week
you’d be a dresser. I learned a lot from
watching those actors — how to put a
show on in a week. I did anything I
could to be around theater.
thrilling — you get a hundred-piece
orchestra playing your music. Movies
are just so huge. When you work on
something, and you know that
everyone in the country or the world
knows about it, it’s almost surreal. But
nothing can compare to human beings
singing songs that you’ve written, and
singing them so well. It’s amazing to
see everything fall together the way it
did on Hairspray — the sets,
MS: I left high school with a G.E.D. I
moved to New York less than a year
later, and just had a fairy-tale entrance
into the business. I met the people I
dreamed about
meeting, and I
started working
right away. It’s
always tough when
people ask how to
do what I’ve been
lucky enough to do.
There’s no way to
re-create what
happened with me.
All I can say is, you
have to be out there
doing it. Have
courage and self
confidence — you
can’t do much if
you don’t have that.
But, there’s not
a day that goes by
that I don’t wish
that I had a college
education in music,
and had a chance
to further my
musical knowledge. Top left: Laura Bell Bundy (Amber Von Tussle) and Linda Hart (Velma Von Tussle)
(right) with members of the cast.
I’ve had to learn
things by the skin
of my teeth, and I can’t imagine
costumes, direction, choreography.
anything more glorious than being
And then for it to be such a hit, to
spoon fed the rules of orchestration,
make an audience so joyous every
and the history of it all. I wish I’d had
night — that’s truly unspeakably
that.
satisfying, there are just no words to
describe that satisfaction. ■
SN: Can you compare writing music for
movies to writing a Broadway musical?
32
Discussion
MS: Writing music for movies is very
Discussion
Objective
To observe collaborative
techniques displaying
effective interpersonal
communication skills.
Teaching Tips
■ Who is the funniest person
you know? What makes them
funny? Are they reacting to
the people in conflict around
them? Can you recall a
situation in which a funny
person has lightened the
energy in the room?
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 8
In this scene, Tracy and Penny meet Seaweed and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle on their turf in an "Afro-Fantastic"
scene. Tracy has bounced back from the assault by Amber in the gym and she is in the company of her allies. Link has
joined them in friendship, but he still isn’t bold enough to protest against the prejudice that his new friends face
everyday. Tracy learns a life lesson about the generous nature of love and the need to believe that good can overcome
bad choices.
Edna:
Link:
Oooooooohhhhh!!!!! Tracy, that was you!
(calling out the door)
Wilbur! It was the kids I saw.
Tracy:
Mama, what are you doing here?
Edna:
I had a sudden craving for chicken and
waffles, so we drove up to Ruby’s Take-Out
across the street. Hello everyone. I’m
Tracy’s mom.
I like these people. But whether or not
they’re on TV won’t get me a recording
contract.
(realizes that sounds too shallow)
That comes out all wrong. I’ve been singing
and dancing and smiling on that show for
three years waiting for it to lead to my
break...
I’m not gonna throw it away. C’mon, I’m
leaving and you gotta too.
(He starts toward the door.)
Tracy:
Velma:
Oh!
(taking in EDNA)
So, you’re what spawned that!
No! I want to do this, and so should you.
It’s what’s right. Stay, Link. Please stay.
Link:
Edna:
Sorry...See ya, little darlin’. (He exits.)
Velma:
Oh mama...how could I think Link Larkin
would ever care about someone like me?
Excuse me?
Tracy:
I guess you two are living proof that the
watermelon doesn’t fall very far from the
vine.
Edna:
Tracy, be a dear and hold mommy’s waffles.
(EDNA takes a threatening step
toward VELMA as WILBUR enters.)
Edna:
...It’s just Eddie Fisher all over
again...boys are not the brightest things.
Give him time. I’m sure he’ll figure out
he’s crazy about you.
.....
Exercise
us, once a fair amount of time has
passed.
In Hairspray, many of the characters
use humor as a way of coping with
problems. For example, Edna
makes jokes to take away the sting
of Amber and Velma’s insults in the
record shop scene. When we go
through painful moments, finding
the funny side of the situation often
helps us get through it.
In class, have students brainstorm
what makes a situation funny. For
older students, you might begin by
examining the aphorisms “Comedy
is tragedy plus time” and “Comedy
comes from pain.” Often the
funniest personal stories come from
the awful things that happened to
33
In the above scene, observe the use
of different kinds of comedic lines:
■ Insult: “The watermelon doesn’t
fall very far from the vine.”
■ Understatement: “Tracy, be a dear
and hold mommy’s waffles.”
What is the effect of each? Velma’s
mean-spiritedness is made evident
through her insults. Edna, by
contrast, shows the most restraint,
and gets the biggest laughs. She
says the least, but at the same time
reveals to us that she is smarter
than the others. When we see Edna
respond to a vicious attack with a
witty remark, we as an audience
side with her, enjoying her victory
over her petty opponents.
Motormouth, Edna, Tracy and
Seaweed all respond to racism and
insults with wit. Ask the students
to discuss how they handle similar
situations: is it possible to respond
to racism with kindness and humor?
For homework, ask the students to
find the comedic potential in their
everyday lives. What situations are
funny? Are they funny initially or
only in retrospect?
LES
LES
SON
4
Experiential
Writing
Objective
From the
Script
Experiential
To analyze the interactions of
diverse individuals within
similar situations.
Act 2, Scene 1
There has been a raucous demonstration to integrate The Corny Collins Show. The efforts to open images of black and
white teens dancing together get proponents and opponents alike thrown in jail together, and a new character, the
matron of the prison, is introduced to heighten the intensity of an already thickening plot.
Teaching Tips
(The FEMALE CAST, with the exception
of PRUDY, are in jail! A MATRON
stands watch over them.)
■ How good are you at
observing differences among
people? Do you play an active
or passive role when there are
differences among people in
your company?
■ Does diversity among
people create a good,
challenging, or uncomfortable
atmosphere for you?
■ Think of four people that
you know through the process
of free association. Are you
able to distinguish the
differences and similarities
among them? If so, what
might they be?
Women:
Amber:
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO CAN DRY
CLEAN MY BLOUSE?
Matron:
I GOTTA GET OUT,
I GOTTA GET OUT,
I GOTTA GET OUT,
HOW’D I GET IN THIS SLAMMER
THIS COOLER,
THIS BIG DOLLHOUSE!
IT’S THE MAID’S DAY OFF
All:
IN THE BIG DOLLHOUSE
Little Inez:
LADY JUSTICE WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?
Matron:
Alright, ladies, welcome to the big
dollhouse! For those of youse new to
the penal system I’m letting you know
now that I don’t stand for boozing,
doping, cussing, gambling, fighting,
or any other sort of unladylike
behavior. Think of me as a mother…who
eats her young.
Edna:
OOH, WILBUR, CHECK, I THINK I LEFT THE
IRON ON!
Velma:
DID YOU SEE CORNY LAUGHING?
I COULD MURDER THAT LOUSE!
All:
Velma:
LOCKED UP WITH ALL THESE LOWLIFE WOMEN
Edna:
HONEY, THAT’LL GETCHA LIFE
IN THE BIG DOLLHOUSE
BIG HOUSE!
AND HORIZONTAL STRIPES
AIN’T EXACTLY SLIMMIN’
Exercise
Have students choose three to five contrasting personalities among people that they know, have met, or
have heard about. For no more than fifteen minutes, have the class write a thumbnail sketch of each of
these people. Next give them thirty-five minutes to write a scene in which their characters have been
thrown into jail and are forced to interact with each other.
With a partner, students can then exchange scenes and read them aloud together, acting
out/interpreting each role as they see fit. Have the characters been portrayed successfully? What are
the strengths and weaknesses of the scenes? Using feedback from their writing partner, students
should rewrite their scenes, sharpening their characters and their dramatic interactions.
Finally, have students volunteer to read their rewritten scenes to the class. Are the character portraits
successful? Discuss.
34
4
Life Skills
Life Skills
Writing
SON
Objective
To illustrate techniques that
enable individuals to develop
a strong self-image.
Teaching Tips
■ Can you think of a time
when you were an absolutely
happy person? Did it ever
make you want to get up and
sing? Do you know anyone in
your family and/or among your
friends who prefer to use song
to express emotion?
■ What is there about singing
a song that is more inspiring
that speaking words? What is
it about music that attracts
you? What is your favorite all
time most inspiring song?
From the
Script
Act 2, Scene 1
Tracy’s dad mortgages his Har-De-Har Hut Joke Shop and brings enough bail money to release everybody from jail.
However, a court order detains Tracy in solitary confinement. Her family and friends reaffirm their love and support for
her, even though they’re forced to leave her behind. Consequently, Tracy still has a very positive sense of herself to keep
her spirits high. The writers and composers of Hairspray give Tracy a moment that allows the character to express her
self-confidence at this potentially lonely time.
Tracy:
OH, OH, OH
I’M ALL ALONE
MY HEART HAS GROWN BUT IT’S BROKEN, TOO.
THIS MORNING LIFE WAS A
BALTIMORE FAIRY TALE
NOW I CAN’T MAKE BAIL!
MY MOTHER’S IN SHOCK
MY FATHER’S IN HOCK
I MUCH PREFER LINK’S ARMS
TO JAILHOUSE CELLS
SO LINK, PLEASE
RESCUE ME NOW
’CAUSE I LOVE YOU
AND THIS PRISON SMELLS.
LINK, HEAR THE BELLS!
AND GET READY BALTIMORE
THERE’S A BRIGHT, BRAND-NEW DAY IN STORE
LET ME OUT SO THIS DREAM’S UNFURLED
I’LL EAT SOME BREAKFAST,
THEN CHANGE THE WORLD!
AND I PROMISE BALTIMORE
ONCE I CHA-CHA RIGHT OUT OF THAT DOOR
THE WORLD’S GONNA WAKE UP AND SEE
LINK’S IN LOVE WITH ME!
Exercise
There are times when we want a private moment in order to express confidence, and/or bravado about
our ability to overcome obstacles. While this is not necessarily easy to express in dialogue, this strong
level of emotion can sometimes be conveyed through song.
Have students identify songs they are familiar with which express the same high self-esteem they find
in the script excerpt above. Their assignment for tomorrow is to bring in the song lyrics and explain
their selection to the class. They can additionally teach the class to sing the song if they choose.
35
LIFE
to
NAME
SKILLS
go
DATE
CLASS
TEACHER
1.
What is a good environment for you to brainstorm ideas and think creatively? Do you find it
valuable to gather research before you begin the brainstorming process? In order to explore
ways in which you brainstorm, look at the following list of general topics and pick one that
appeals to you. Spend at least an hour at home turning that topic into a poem, a
monologue, a scene, a song, a drawing, a photograph, etc. You can create this finished
piece alone or with other people. However, along with this product, which you will present
to the class, report on the process you used to create it. The process will be different for
everyone. Some people will work from images that come to mind and build stories around
these images. Some people will work from characterizations, hearing dialogue that contains
dramatic conflict, etc. Use the following list of general topics to begin the brainstorming
process:
Fried eggs
■ Kissing
■ Purple Passion
■ A stack of books
■ The flute player
■ Doorknobs
■ Tap dancing
2.
3.
After
Fondly recalled memories
■ Partial to pizza, etc.
■
Have you ever thought about
making a movie? Imagine that you
were given all the money you
could ever ask for in order to
make a movie. You will be the
director of that movie. Choose
your location. Choose two central
characters. Cast them with any
actors of your choice, professional
or otherwise. Choose the music
you’d like to have as underscoring
for the piece. Jot down those
notes and bring in your ideas to
share with the class.
The Buddy Deane Show
THE ARTS
Art Connections
■ Understands connections among the various
art forms and other disciplines
Music
■ Sings, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music
■
Performs on instruments, alone and with
others, a varied repertoire of music
■
Improvises melodies, variations, and
accompaniments
■
Composes and arranges music within
specified guidelines
■
Reads and notates music
■
Knows and applies appropriate criteria to
music and music performances
■
Understands the relationship between music
history and culture
Theater
■ Demonstrates competence in writing scripts
(You can add or subtract from
these topics at will.)
EXPRESS yourself
In the Overture to Life’s Skills, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” (pages 28 and 29), Scott Wittman
discusses his high school and college career. He talks about how his involvement with musicals
started in high school, with summer stock, movies, and theater continuing throughout his life.
He was fascinated and committed to all forms of theater and followed this path wherever he
could. Describe either yourself or someone you know in terms of your or their deep commitment
to a strongly motivated pursuit.
36
The Arts
“The Nicest Kids in Town”
H O U R S
What doYOU think?
■
Overture to
■
Uses acting skills
■
Designs and produces informal and formal
productions
■
Directs scenes and productions
■
Understands how informal and formal theater,
film, television, and electronic media
productions create and communicate
meaning
■
Understands the context in which theater,
film, television, and electronic media are
performed today as well as in the past
Visual Arts
■ Understands and applies media, techniques,
and processes related to the visual arts
■
Knows how to use the structures (e.g., sensory
qualities, organizational principles, expressive
features) and functions of art
■
Knows a range of subject matter, symbols,
and potential ideas in the visual arts
■
Understands the visual arts in relation to
history and cultures
■
Understands the characteristics and merits of
one’s own artwork and the artwork of others
Like Tracy Turnblad, young John Waters would race home after school to watch The
Buddy Deane Show, the inspiration for Hairspray’s Corny Collins Show. Almost every
large city had its own dance-party show, which featured local teenagers doing the latest
dances to pop hits.
The most well-known was American Bandstand, which was first broadcast in Philadelphia
in 1952. When it began airing nationally in August 1957, it became an instant hit.
The dancers featured on the show were regular Philadelphia high school students. Soon
they became mini-celebrities, with fans devoted to their every move.
In 1957, Baltimore’s WJZ-TV gave ex-disk jockey, Buddy Deane a show, running from
4:35 to 6:00 PM every weekday, and from 1:00 to 2:30 on Saturday. The student
regulars were called “The Committee” (renamed “The Council” in Hairspray). Waters
even appeared on The Buddy Deane Show:
I was on The Buddy Deane Show as a guest, but a guest was so low. The
Committee members’ jobs were to dance with guests, who were the low-life
viewers. They couldn’t dance with each other except every second or third
record.
The Committee members were my
imaginary friends. I used to watch the
show and draw exaggerated hairdos and
make up fictitious biographies for all of
them.
The Buddy Deane Show had only white
dancers (except on “Negro Day” once a
month), even though the teens on the show
usually preferred dancing to music by black
artists.
Earlier, in the 1940s and early ‘50s, white singers would record their own “cover”
versions of rhythm and blues tunes, since radio programmers worried that their
audiences would reject “race music.” However, the biggest music audience, teenagers,
were more interested in the authentic raw sounds of rock & roll and rhythm & blues.
Cover versions lost their popularity, and radio stations began integrating their playlists.
Color distinctions didn’t matter to the teens — they just wanted more of the music. A
member of the popular black group, the Cleftones, remarked that “disc jockeys and
record distributors were doing more for integration than Brown versus the Topeka Board
of Education.”
Unlike the situation in Hairspray, the television-station management actually did want to
integrate the show. However, the parents of the Committee members refused to allow it.
In real life, it did not have a happy ending. The Buddy Deane Show went off
the air because they wouldn’t integrate. It wasn’t Buddy — the kids’ parents
said, “You’re not dancing with black people on television.” It was tense here
in Baltimore. Even today it would be odd to have fifteen-year-olds black and
white, slow dancing together on television. I don’t think that would be able to
happen, to tell you the truth. I gave it a happy ending that it didn’t have.
37
LES
LES
SON
5
The Arts
Objective
To understand the context in
which theater is performed
and how theater can aspire to
change society.
Teaching Tips
■ Have you seen the movie
Hairspray? Was it like any
other movie that you’ve ever
seen? In what ways would you
say it was different, and in
what ways was it similar?
What would you identify as
the themes of Hairspray?
■ How many movies or plays
can you think of that deal
with integration in ways that
are satisfying to you? Literally
count the number that you
can think of. Of this number,
how many of them represent
the world as you know it?
■ Some people say movies
should be more like life,
others say that life should be
more like the movies. Which
statement do you agree with
and why?
From the
Writing
Script
Writing
Act 2, Scene 2
Tracy is in prison, causing Edna to feel like a failed parent. Luckily, Edna has Wilbur to cheer her up.
(WILBUR & EDNA are at
home later that day.
WILBUR is busily
working on a jumbo
hairspray can model.
EDNA is on the phone.)
Edna:
Wilbur:
Wilbur:
I’m closing up.
(A "Rube Goldberg" type
trick pulls the
"closed" sign on the
shop)
You can’t worry about
people calling you
names. You know how
many times I’ve been
called crazy? But I
say, "Yeah crazy.
Crazy like a loon."
Anyway, we haven’t
abandoned Tracy. In
fact, I got just what
she needs here; stand
back.
(HE pushes the aerosol
can top – it explodes)
What’d’ya think? Isn’t
it a doozy?
Edna:
Hello? Yes, Mr. Pinky.
Yes, of course I
understand that you
have an empire to
protect, Yes. I’ll
return the outfits.
The pettipants, too. I
scarcely wore them
twice...but Mr. Pinky,
she’s just a little
girl and little girls
make mistakes. If they
didn’t — where would
other little girls come
from?...Yes, I
understand… it is too
bad...Goodbye.
(SHE hangs up and
bursts into hysterics.)
Oh, Wilbur, this is a
real Midol moment.
Oh, Wilbur, my
stomach’s in knots. My
nerves are on edge.
Wilbur:
Calm down, sweetheart.
Edna:
Calm down? There are
names for women who
abandon their daughters
who’ve gotten arrested
for trying to integrate
an after school sock
hop type television
show. Yes, there are
names, and Hallmark
does not make a card
for any of them!
5
The Arts
Discussion
Discussion
SON
Edna:
Impressive. But how’s
it gonna help our
Tracy?
Wilbur:
You’ll be surprised.
Edna:
Oh, sure! You’re a
visionary inventor
saving the day!
Exercise
John Waters took a situation from his own life that could have led to despair. But as he tells us in
the “Overture to the Arts” (page 34), he changed the endings in both the movie and stage version to
reflect a more positive outcome.
“Even today it would be odd to have fifteen-year-olds black and white slow dancing together on
television.”
Objective
To learn how visual metaphors
in the arts can be used to put
forward new ideas.
From the
Script
Act 2, Scene 2
Wilbur and Edna reaffirm their love for each other.
Wilbur & Edna:
Wilbur:
YOU NEED A FRESH COAT OF PLASTER
Teaching Tips
What are the qualities of a
“Mom of the Year”? What are
the qualities of a "Dad of the
Year"? Explain your answers.
What are the qualities of a
happy, compatible couple?
What makes them
compatible? Who is the least
compatible couple that you
know? What could make
them compatible? What is
your vision of the greatest love
affair you could possibly
imagine? Can you remember
a time when something you
dreamed of or wished for
came true? If yes, what was
it and how long did it last?
Edna:
Edna:
BUT WILBUR, I’M STILL HOT TO TROT
AND ON THE DAY THAT YOU DROP
Wilbur:
Wilbur & Edna:
YEAH EDNA, YOU’RE LIKE THE HINDENBURG
DISASTER
Edna:
WHOO! I’LL CATCH YOU WHEN YOU FALL
AND WE GOT A KID
WHO’S DONE WHAT SHE DID
AND WE’RE AS PROUD AS PROUD CAN BE
I’M FULL OF GAS!
Wilbur:
Wilbur:
YOU’RE STILL MY BIG AFFAIR
BUT YOU WON’T BE FORGOT!!
Edna:
Wilbur & Edna:
MEIN HERR!
LOVE TAKE A LICKIN’
BUT WE KEEP ON TICKIN’
WE’RE JUST LIKE THE CLOCK ON THE WALL
Wilbur & Edna:
YOU’RE TIMELESS TO ME.
Exercise
Hairspray is a unique world seen through the eyes of John Waters. In this world, integration on TV is
possible every day, overweight girls can be sexy teen idols and romantic love objects, and goofy
couples who seem to be complete opposites can be the dream parents of their time. In this world, TV
personalities can support healthy role models and not lose their jobs. How true is this picture to life?
After discussing Hairspray as a vision of life through the eyes of John Waters, have the class create
their own vision of the world. This world should include contrasting verbal and visual images. For
instance, in Hairspray, Wilbur compares Edna to the Hindenburg disaster, yet intends it as a
compliment. (Similar apparent contradictions are found throughout the show, capturing John Waters’
feel for paradox.)
Begin by using the lyrics of “Timeless to Me” to demonstrate how metaphor and simile are used.
Then, allow the students to brainstorm, encouraging them to free their minds from conventional
physical and visual images. Be sure there is time remaining in class after they’ve written their visions
to share their ideas with one another.
But in Hairspray it does happen, demonstrating how theater can be used as a vehicle to initiate or
suggest change in society. Have a discussion of that phenomenon. Ask your students if they can
come up with other movies, songs, or theater pieces which demonstrate an alternative to present
reality. Furthermore, ask them to identify situations that they would like to see changed by a work of
art and how they believe this could be accomplished.
38
YEAH OUR SPRINGS NEVER POP
39
LES
SON
5
THE
to
The Arts
Experiential
NAME
Objective
To use acting and directing
skills to produce a scene.
From the
Script
Act 2, Scene 3
Link has come to Tracy to tell her that he loves her. Penny and Seaweed also declare their true love.
Penny & Seaweed:
’CAUSE WITHOUT LOVE
Backup:
...WITHOUT LOVE
■ What roles have you played
in theater projects both in and
out of school? Which roles
were most like you, which
were most different from you?
What are the qualities that go
towards making up a good
director?
Seaweed:
LIFE IS LIKE A BEAT THAT YOU CAN’T FOLLOW
OOH-OOH
Penny & Seaweed:
WITHOUT LOVE
WITHOUT LOVE
Penny:
LIFE IS DORIS DAY AT THE APOLLO
OOH-OOH
■ What are the qualities that
go towards making a good
actor? Do you consider it
important to work with theater
collaborators who are
talented? Do you consider it
important to work with theater
collaborators who are
responsive and cooperative?
Seaweed:
I’M YOURS FOREVER
NEVER SET ME FREE
NO, NO, NO!
■ If you had to choose one
quality over another, talent
versus cooperation, which
would you choose?
Teaching Tips
Penny & Seaweed:
DARLING, I’LL BE YOURS FOREVER
‘CAUSE I NEVER WANNA BE
WITHOUT LOVE
1.
go
DATE
CLASS
Experiential
AR TS
3.
TEACHER
What doYOU think?
Based upon the visual images that your teacher has shown in class as well as images that
you have seen in the media or researched on the Internet, what is your impression of the
‘60s? Jot down your thoughts about the songs, dances, TV shows and politics of the time.
Was the ‘60s a time that you would have enjoyed living in? Why or why not? Write a short
essay discussing this topic, answering all the questions above.
Hairdos in theater are traditionally
considered part of the costume
department. Pretend you are a
costume designer responsible for
creating a look for two characters.
Using your hairdo sketches as a
guide, develop these characters,
and the roles they might play in a
dramatic story. Then either
describe them orally in class or
present classmates with a written
description.
WITHOUT LOVE
From now on we can see both couples at once.)
Link:
IF YOU’RE LOCKED UP IN THIS PRISON, TRACE
I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’LL DO
Backup:
OOH-OOH
OOH-OOH
Tracy:
LINK, I’VE GOT TO BREAK OUT
SO THAT I CAN GET MY HANDS ON YOU
OOH-OOH
I CAN GET MY HANDS ON YOU
Seaweed:
GIRL, IF I CAN’T TOUCH YOU NOW
I’M GONNA LOSE CONTROL
OOH
LOSE CONTROL
Penny:
SEAWEED, YOU’RE MY BLACK WHITE KNIGHT
I’VE FOUND MY BLUE-EYED SOUL
Exercise
This excerpt not only features four vigorous and
appealing principal actors, but a backup chorus
of singers to create a rousing production number.
Have the class divide in half. Select two
directors, one for each scene, and have the
directors choose actors and backup singers to
rehearse and produce the scene in class.
Have each team choose a familiar song to
dramatize. While staging the songs, remind the
BLACK WHITE KNIGHT
students to concentrate on the storytelling aspect
while simultaneously keeping the emotions of
the piece in mind.
The classroom teacher may ask the music
director and the drama teacher to give the class
some tips for directing actors and singers in a
scene. After the scenes have been rehearsed, the
drama and music teachers can be part of a
discussion analyzing this process for both the
directors and actors.
2.
EXPRESS yourself
How interested are you in performing? Have you performed as an actor, athlete, musician,
dancer, etc.? What is your relationship to performing? Would you rather be on stage or
backstage? If you were able to perform in Hairspray, which of the characters would you
like to play? Would you prefer to be working on the scenic elements, directing, etc.? Try
to identify who you are in terms of performance; an actor, a director, a designer, a writer
or an audience member. For a homework assignment, make a short tape or burn a CD in
which you do one of the following:
a) Read a poem that either appeals to you or one that you’ve written
b) Pretend to be a fictional character, describing yourself and your situation
c) Describe what puts you most at ease when you’re in front of an audience
40
Hairspray is about “monumental
hairdos.” What about hairdos
today? Set aside an afternoon to
walk around your city or town with
notepad and pen in hand. Write
down descriptions or draw
sketches of the variety of hairdos
that you encounter in the street.
Next, compile similar descriptions
of hairdos seen on TV or in
magazines. Bring these into class
and compare them with others.
I’LL BE YOURS FOREVER
DOOT DOOT DOO DOOT
DOOT DOOT DOO DOOT
NO, NO, NO!
(The light comes on in the jail again.
After
H O U R S
41
StageNOTES™
Resources
BOOKS
Anderson, Terry H. The Movement
and the Sixties. Oxford University
Press, 1996.
Carson, Clayborne, and Martin
Luther King, Jr. In Struggle: SNCC
and the Black Awakening of the
1960s. Harvard University Press,
1995.
Farber, David R., and Beth Bailey.
The Columbia Guide to America in
the 1960s. Columbia University
Press, 2001.
Every Great Motown Song,
Volume 1: 1960s, Uni/Motown,
1988.
Broadway Magic: 1960s, Original
Cast Compilation, Sony Music
Entertainment, 1987.
ENTERTAINMENT FILMS
Gitlin, Todd. The Whole World Is
Watching. University of California
Press, 1981.
Isserman, Maurice, and Michael
Kazin. America Divided: The Civil
War of the 1960s. Oxford
University Press, 2000.
WEBSITES
Morgan, Bill, and Greg Davis.
Collector’s Guide to TV Toys and
Memorabilia: 1960s & 1970s.
Collector Books, 1998.
ASCD
Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
1703 N. Beauregard St.
Alexandria, VA 22311
703-578-9600 phone
800-933-2723
303-337-3005 fax
www.ascd.org
e-mail: [email protected]
Hairspray: Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack, MCA, 1988.
Cry Baby, directed by John Waters,
starring Johnny Depp and Ricki
Lake. Released by Universal
Studios, 1990, Rated PG-13.
Klatch, Rebecca E. A Generation
Divided: The New Left, the New
Right, and the 1960s. University
of California Press, 1999.
EDUCATION:
McREL
Mid-continent Regional
Educational Laboratory, Inc.
2550 S. Parker Rd. Ste. 500
Aurora, CO 80014
303-337-0990 phone
303-337-3005 fax
www.mcrel.org
e-mail: [email protected]
Cry Baby: Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack, MCA, 1990.
Unge, Irwin. The Times Were a
Changin’: The Sixties Reader.
Three Rivers Press, 1998.
Yapp, Nick. The 1960s (Decades
of the 20th Century). Konemann,
1998.
MUSIC
Hairspray: Original Broadway Cast
Recording, Sony Music
Entertainment, 2002.
Hear It Now! The Sound of the
’60s, Sony, 1999.
1960s: Music, Memories and
Milestones, White Star Studios,
1989, Not Rated.
Hairspray, directed by John Waters,
starring Ricki Lake and Divine.
Released by New Line Studios,
1988, Rated PG.
The ’60s: The Complete NBC
Miniseries, Vidmark/Trimark Studio,
1999, Rated PG-13.
™
A Field Guide for Teachers
A Camp Broadway LLC Publication
Editor:
Associate Editors:
Art Director:
Jodi Simon Stewart
Roseanne Saraceno, Lesley Mazzotta
Joseph M. Pisarchick
Writers:
Russell Granet: Associate Program Director at The Center for Arts Education
and a member of the faculty for New York University’s Kaplan Center for
Educational Drama.
EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL
FILMS
The 20th Century: The 1960s: The
Global Revolution, Mpi Home
Video, 2000.
www.hairsprayonbroadway.com
The official website for Hairspray
www.amazon.com
To purchase any of the merchandise listed
www.playbill.com
For the latest information
and news on Hairspray
StageNOTES
Robert Hartmann: composer/lyricist and Assistant Professor, New York University
Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program
Maxine Kern: dramaturg, playwright and educator with experience in curriculum
development, interdisciplinary writing coordination and classroom teaching
Copy Editor:
For Hairspray:
Costume Design:
Scenery Design:
Lighting Design:
Logo Design:
Production Photos:
Press:
Lesley Krauss: owner of Book Project Management, a trade book editorial production
company
William Ivey Long
David Rockwell
Kenneth Posner
Serino Coyne, Inc.
Paul Kolnik
Richard Kornberg & Associates
Special Thanks:
Joaquin Esteva, Winnie Goodridge, Lily Hung, Ronni Mandell, Brian Mear,
Tammy Samuels, Barry Singer, Sasha Taublieb
Printed by:
Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY
RETAIL STORES
Applause Theatre Books
211 West 71 Street, NYC
212-496-7511
www.applausebooks.com
Drama Book Shop
250 West 40 Street
212-944-0595
www.dramabookshop.com
Theatre Circle Books
1 Shubert Alley, NYC
346 West 44 Street, NYC
212-586-7610
800-223-1320
www.BroadwayNewYork.com
Rock ’n Roll Relix: Five-Volume
Collection, 1960–1969, Eclipse
Music Group, 1997.
40
43

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